Toronto, ON—December 2, 2010—A vibrant and inspiring collective conversation ensued amongst a group of over 80 Filipino Canadian women, workers and youth at a landmark conference this weekend. Celebrated as the grand finale of 10.10.2010, the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario’s (PWC-ON) 10th year anniversary, “Creating, Strengthening and Nurturing the Filipino Canadian Women’s Struggle for Genuine Liberation and Empowerment” served as a dynamic summation of an entire decade of redefining feminism from the Filipino Canadian women’s perspective.
Organized under the auspices of the recently-formed Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), the conference illuminated the enduring and fundamental importance of women’s consciousness, history, action and struggles in the realization of our full participation and entitlement as a community and as a people in Canadian society.
For an entire weekend, a lively exchange of transformative discussions on the role of women in leading the journey through the community’s unfolding path of settlement and integration ensued. Songs, panel speeches, collective discussions, testimonials, a research report-back, a political fashion show, as well as much laughter, all rung through the hearts and minds of participants from Ontario, Vancouver and Montreal, all of which motivated them to further advance the resounding call for genuine women’s liberation in the face of our intensifying exploitation, oppression and commodification.
By looking back to the past, panel speakers in “History of Filipino Canadian Women’s Organizing” shared their experiences and valuable lessons in creating a progressive Filipino Canadian movement, one wherein the development of a critical feminist analysis and building strong leadership is strengthened through countless political mobilizations and being deeply rooted in the community. Cecilia Diocson, Joy Sioson and Marilou Carrillo reminded everyone of our rich and continuing legacy of women’s organizing, one that has been present in our history since our migration to Canada and even back to centuries prior. Panelists encouraged everyone to revolutionize our thoughts and actions and smash oppressive and binary ways of thinking, especially in facing our ongoing challenges, such as institutionalized modern-day slavery program that is the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), as well as Filipino Canadian women’s relegation to domestic work, trafficking, non-accreditation and violence. Collectively, we redefined a feminism that incorporates the analysis of race, class and gender in aspiring towards genuine social equality and emancipation. As highlighted in this panel, such feminism must bear resilience and strength, one that struggles to create entirely new avenues in the face of those who seek to destroy the path towards genuine women’s liberation.
By synthesizing what they have learned through their involvement with PWC, the young women panelists in “PWC and the Making of the Young Filipina Canadian Activist” shared powerful personal and collective stories and histories of growth, displacement and empowerment, while foregrounding the systemic nature of our personal histories. Jillian Sudayan, Julay Nieto, Qara Clemente and Charlene Sayo challenged all young Filipino Canadian women to counter our refeudalization while aspiring for empowerment and fulfilling our inherent capacity to lead the entire generations of strong Filipino Canadian women to come.
By stirring everyone to action, Danielle Bisnar and Alleben Purugganan in “Take Action Towards an Empowered Future!” encouraged everyone to understand the community’s collective struggle as a step towards putting this knowledge to practice. While we maintain a long-term vision of broader social change, we create everyday transformations through community-based art and research, policy engagement and creating a living culture of resistance. As Filipino Canadian feminists, we always seek to create and determine situations and institutions that build fullness in everyone’s lives.
Fearlessly sharing their stories, Liphayette Hilado, Kelly Botengan, Kim Abis and Aila Comilang presented in “Our Stories, Our Realities, Our Future” during the community brunch. Their struggles prepared the context behind our collective vision for an empowered future. Our experiences as students, caregivers, daughters and mothers create the passion and determination behind our leadership as community organizers and activists. As documented in research projects, such as UKPC/FCYA-ON’s “B4CK 2 School” anti-racism education research project, revealing our hidden narratives as women tell much about our current social reality, and determines how we can make the Filipino community count in Canada’s future. As empowered individuals, we see ourselves as agents of social transformation whose successes are determined by our collective liberation.
Armed with a strong foundational history, sharper knowledge, creative forms of resistance and a strong and resilient community, Filipino Canadian feminists and community organizers will now continue to create, strengthen and nurture the women’s struggle for genuine liberation and empowerment. The conference ended with a strong unity between women, workers and youth to live the best of our lives in the best of struggles.
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Click here to see pictures on how we created, strengthened and nurtured!
For more information contact:
Qara Clemente
(416) 519-2553
pwc-on@magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org