Let us celebrate Woman Suffrage Day

Historically, since the right of suffrage was granted in 1907 by the American colonizers, only male citizens were allowed to vote simply because, as some male chauvinists claimed, women were mere "extensions of their husbands and fathers," unfit for public service.

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Thus, women were classified together with minors, illiterate, aliens, and insane as among those who could neither vote nor be voted upon.

But Filipino women fought long and hard for the right to vote, asserting that in a democracy, every qualified citizen—regardless of gender, color, race, or religion—should have a voice in shaping the nation's future.

Their struggle culminated on April 30, 1937, when 447,725 Filipino women cast their ballots in a plebiscite in favor of granting themselves the right to suffrage. That day, 88 years ago, marked a historic milestone in the march toward gender equality.