SOC SCI 5

This photo traces back to the World War II era, a time when the Philippines was under
the colony of the brutal Japanese regime and realities of rape, torture, disappearances and murder
plagued the motherland. The group decided to choose this photo because it portrays courage and
pursuit for justice. This photo shows a woman challenging the status quo as she wears a fierce
expression and carries a rifle, which for decades is branded to be man’s property.
Historical data showed that one in ten guerrillas was a woman, which is likely to be an
understatement. This helps destroy the notion that women’s roles during the Japanese occupation
were limited to serving as “comfort women” in a system of sexual servitude set up by Japanese
imperial troops and that women have little to no contribution in the country’s pursuit for
independence. In the guerrilla camps, most women took on non-combatant roles such as
performing hospital and dispensary work, while others served as messengers, spies and fighting
warriors in Huk battalions. Even though the stereotype of women tending to the home was
widespread during this period, it is of much importance to acknowledge and celebrate the women
who joined the grassroots movement, embodied patriotism and unquestionable bravery in
fighting for their homeland and demonstrated the capabilities of their sex.
A continuity that we would like to point out in this photo is the commitment of women to
fight for their rights. From wartime up to the present, women continue to challenge the social
injustices embedded in the capitalist and patriarchal systems and persistently contribute to
achieving gender equality. The courage of women has shone in numerous points throughout
history and we believe that as time progresses, women mobilization will continue to exist,
destroying the stereotype of the submissive woman and proving that women are as capable as
men.
 Taken in 1901, during the time when Filipinos were relinquished by the Spaniards to the
Americans, this photo shows three women sewing - a basic domestic skill that women in this
period should learn and possess. Aside from the reason that this photo portrays a common story
as to why women were compelled to adhere to their gender-specific roles during this period, our
group opted to choose this photo in order for us to delineate a comparison from our first photo.
While the first photo conveys women challenging the status quo, this second photo shows
women adhering to their gender roles.
During Spanish colonization, women were stripped off from their pre-Hispanic liberties
and were forced to submit their selves under a patriarchal society brought about by the
Spaniards. With limited to no access to basic education at all, women’s role in the society
became less dominant and is considered as inferior to men. Their role in the society revolved
only around in domestic care and tasks of being a submissive wife and a mother.
Since this photo is taken at the onset of the American colonization, the influence of the
Spanish colonization in shaping the roles and status of women in the society is still evident. This
was before education became public and secular. Thus, we can draw and identify changes from
this photo brought about by the Americans, such as Filipinas earning their degrees and becoming
professionals, and having attained the right to vote. Women’s position in the public sphere
became somehow visible and apparent during the American occupation.
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