The only bold imagination our leaders need is the imagination to build a country that truly respects women’s dignity.
When those in power objectify women, they shrink the spaces where we are safe and send the wrong message that disrespect and inequality are acceptable. Words are never just words, especially when spoken among the very institutions whose duty is to protect us; they reinforce harmful norms, legitimize harm, and lay the foundation for the harassment, discrimination, and violence women face.
When power is divorced from respect for dignity and rights, even strong laws — like the Safe Spaces Act — become symbolic, and the progress we fight for is set back.
This Women’s Month, we call for accountability and justice that does not rest on legal recognition alone. We deserve justice that is woven into action, accountability, and systems that protect women’s rights, dignity, freedom, and bodily autonomy.
To realize a Patas na Bukas, we must weave the change we want, and everyone, especially those in power, must pick up the thread.
