Many countries across the world observe March as International Women’s Month and March 8 as International Women’s Day in recognition of the achievements of women as partners in nation-building. When you hear the president of your country ordering soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina, can you simply dismiss it as a joke? President Rodrigo Duterte has been labeled as “misogynist” and “macho-fascist” by human rights and women’s rights advocates because of his humiliating remarks about women, tending to reduce their worth as mere sex objects. His anger over the abuse of Filipino women in Kuwait would have sounded more sincere and meaningful if he has not been devaluing their worth right in their own country. But would have sent a stronger message if he had shown respect to Filipino women in the same way that he seems to expect other nationalities to do.

Source: Manila Times February 18, 2018 16:30 UTC