Women slam Aquino for deepening poverty and marginalization

Women slam Aquino for deepening poverty and marginalization

“Aquino promised change, but the conditions of women and our families have worsened. Just a little over a year into his presidency, Aquino’s ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) has proven to be a ‘killer highway’ for many Filipinos,” Gabriela secretary-general Lana Linaban said.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – In President Benigno S. Aquino III’s first year as president, Filipino women experienced worse poverty and marginalization, the progressive women’s group Gabriela said. Five days before Aquino was scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona), women trooped to Mendiola near Malacañang Palace to declare the true “state of women and the people.”

“Aquino promised change, but the conditions of women and our families have worsened. Just a little over a year into his presidency, Aquino’s ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) has proven to be a ‘killer highway’ for many Filipinos,” Gabriela secretary-general Lana Linaban said.

Linaban said in the eyes of women, the Aquino government has completely failed to bring down rising prices of food and other commodities. Aquino, she said, also failed to provide the poor with greater access to basic social services such as housing, health and education.

“Under his term there have been ruthless demolitions of poor communities to give way to urban development projects. Wages have remained stagnant; workers have no access to better employment; farmers remain landless; and there have been an increasing number of cases of violence against women. All these have led to a worsening state of poverty and marginalization of Filipino women,” she said.

Women’s situation under Aquino 

In an interview with radio program Sali na Bayan!, Jojo Guan, executive director of Center for Women’s Resources said that because of increasing prices of basic commodities, mothers and their families end up eating rice with soy sauce and cooking oil as viand.

“In urban poor communities where mothers have no regular income, mothers can afford to only buy instant noodles and sardines,” Guan said during the radio interview.

She also added that many mothers also complain about the high prices of National Food Authority (NFA) rice. According to the data of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the price of NFA rice has increased from P25 ($.60) to P27 ($.64) per kilo..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/07/22/women-slam-aquino-for-deepening-poverty-and-marginalization/