AHRC Urduja: Women and Gender Desk

International Women’s Day 2026

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we honor the strength, resilience, and voices of women everywhere. This year’s celebration follows the theme “Paghilom, Pagbangon”, focusing on healing from social ailments and recognizing the challenges women continue to face while fostering a community of care, empowerment, and solidarity.

We encourage all members of the APS community to show their support by wearing pink or purple on Monday, March 9, as we stand in solidarity with women and celebrate their contributions and impact.

Sapagkat babae ka, hindi babae lang. Maligayang Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihan! 💜

DAY 16. Justice is a demand, not a request.

What must be done?

The wounds of the War on Drugs remain open, forcing women to bear disproportionate burdens. We call for the passage of House Bill No. 1629 (The Anti-EJK Act). If enacted, this law promises a State Claims Board to provide reparations. But compensation is not enough. We demand a gender-sensitive approach that addresses the unique trauma and poverty experienced by the women left behind. This is not a moment for hope, but for unyielding demand for accountability.

DAY 15. NANLALABAN: Ten Women and their Journeys from Victimhood to Empowerment

This anthology documents the struggles of ten Filipino women whose loved ones were killed during the War on Drugs. It chronicles how they navigated poverty, misogyny, and immense trauma to become human rights defenders. These women are transforming their grief into action, directly challenging the State's impunity.

DAY 14. On the President's Orders (FRONTLINE)
This documentary provides an in-depth look at the brutal realities of the drug war, focusing on the families left behind. It features personal stories of trauma, economic hardship, and the stigma faced by survivors—especially children who witnessed killings or lost parents to police operations.
Streaming Link: https://tinyurl.com/2sxa9vnm

DAY 14. Widowed at sixteen.

Jasmine Durana is a teenage widow. Her husband, John "Toto" Dela Cruz, was only 16 when he was gunned down in an extrajudicial killing—just one month after their daughter, Hazel, was born. Now living in a one-room slum dwelling, Jasmine struggles to feed her family and afford formula. But she is fighting for a future. She saved for a month to buy plastic jerrycans, hoping to launch a business selling drinks to support her daughter.

DAY 12. Grieving in isolation.

Beyond the staggering death toll, the War on Drugs has inflicted a catastrophic psychological wound on families. Surviving family members suffer from insomnia, paranoia, and severe health deterioration. But the pain is deepened by isolation. In the Philippines, wakes are usually community events. But for drug war victims, neighbors are often too afraid to visit or offer condolences, fearing they will be associated with "illegal drugs" or become targets themselves. Families are left to mourn alone.

DAY 11. Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista

"A memoir of murder in my country."

This book offers a powerful investigation into the mechanisms behind the killings and the systemic impunity that allowed them to thrive. Patricia Evangelista documents the devastating impact on victims and the families they leave behind, many of them women bearing deep emotional and economic burdens. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked strongmen.

DAY 10. Impact of Duterte's Drug War on Women

This short documentary reveals the heavy toll on the women left as single heads of households after their husbands are killed. Facing stigma and limited job opportunities, they struggle to provide for their families. But amidst the trauma, we also see resilience. The video highlights community women organizing patrols to protect their neighborhoods and reduce violence.

Streaming link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ituqwYfBw8

DAY 9. Coercion in plain sight.

"O kung gusto mo palit-katawan na lang."

This is what a police officer told Leslie in front of her husband. Leslie, a survivor of prostitution, thought they were safe after her husband surrendered and went to rehab. Yet, police returned to their home. To prevent them from taking her husband again, the officer demanded s*x. "Binababoy ka nang sobra-sobra,” Leslie says. Fearing for their lives, the family had no choice but to flee.

DAY 8. Her body for his life.

PALIT-KATAWAN. Behind this term lies a dark reality where women are coerced into s*x by police officers in exchange for sparing their partners from jail or death. This is not just corruption; this is s*xual violence sanctioned by power. As the Philippine Commission on Women reminds us, r**e is about power and control. In the drug war, women's bodies become battlegrounds of domination, turning their fear for their loved ones into tools of coercion.

DAY 7. Grief has a face.

The War on Drugs continues in the lives of those left behind. In these photos, we see the reality of the survivors; mothers, wives, and children who carry the loss, the stigma, and the unanswered questions.

View the rest of the photos through this link: https://time.com/philippines-drug-war/