On 17 April 2024, Saint Louis University (SLU) hosted the lecture on “Legal Feminism in Philippine Gender Jurisprudence” at the Fr. Joseph Van den Daelen CICM Center for Culture and the Arts Theater. In the said event, the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines, through Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, Co-Chairperson of the SC Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary (CGRJ), presented the aforesaid study, supported by the European Union’s Governance in Justice (GOJUST) II Programme to SLU law faculty and students.
The lecture on Legal Feminism in Philippine Gender Jurisprudence aimed to dissect the judiciary’s interpretation of gender-responsive laws and its efficacy in identifying gender-informed remedies. The lecture focused on the presence of gender biases, inequalities, and discrimination that exist in Supreme Court decisions to properly address them through programs, projects, and activities.
The program commenced with the opening ceremony led by the SLU Glee Club, followed by welcome remarks from the University President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, where he expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court and the European Union’s Governance in Justice for choosing SLU as the venue for the meaningful undertaking.
Fr. Sales, while noting the great strides in policies on gender rights, mentioned that patriarchy has been deeply ingrained in our culture. “Thus, concrete actions are needed to usher the laws for them to be felt genuine in the real world, beyond the written words. In SLU, aside from discourses, we established gender-neutral comfort rooms in an explicit effort to be accepting of a diverse community. We have also been empowering the Women of Banangan, Sablan, Benguet by providing trainings and assistance in broadening and improving their lives,” he said.
In response, Atty. Hector Soliman, Senior Adviser for Access to Justice at the European Union-Governance in Justice (EO-GOJUST) II Programme, affirmed their commitment to supporting the vulnerable sectors. “The European Union is fully committed to the cause of access to justice to support the disadvantaged groups, including women. This support being provided under GOJUST is a continuation of some 20 years of assistance by the European Union to the cause of the Rule of Law, Democracy, Human Rights, and Justice,” Atty. Soliman said.
As part of their continuing support for vulnerable sectors, the EU-GOJUST Programme, through Atty. Soliman, handed SLU eight books that constitute a series of Feminist Judgments written by eminent Academics and Juris all over the world and said, “We hope that the Feminist Judgments Series will form part of the Legal Resources that the University and the Law School could draw upon whenever there is to teach, to comment, or to provide a perspective on the rights of women in search of true gender equality in our society.” The books were then received by Rev. Fr. Sales.
Introducing the guest speaker, Judge Glenda Ortiz-Soriano, Acting Presiding Judge Family Court, Branch 49, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, painted a vivid picture of Associate Justice Singh’s remarkable career, adorned with milestones in her valuable works in the different levels of the judiciary.
In her lecture, Justice Singh went in-depth on the meaning behind feminist jurisprudence, expounding on the current society and how people are all born into it. While also being victims to patriarchy and the common notions passed down from generations to generations regarding women and women rights, Justice Singh claimed that people still have the choice to be part of the change starting today.
Justice Singh also talked about the significance of feminist jurisprudence in the creation and implementation of the law and handling cases, especially when women are the victims.
“When we speak of gender, when we speak of feminism, we do not alienate. The discourse should include everybody. We should not be pointing fingers, that’s not how we talk about it,” Justice Singh quipped in discussing the current stigma when it comes to gender equality.
The lecture underscored the importance of having an ethical core in legal decision-making, emphasizing the role of legal feminism in unmasking patriarchy, engaging in contextual reasoning, and fostering consciousness-raising.
Thereafter, Atty. Shellah Yzanne Merced, SLU Vice President for Administration, delivered her closing remarks, which cemented the discussion of Justice Singh. “Today, we learned that it is only in understanding and accepting feminism as a way of life– of giving premium to the lived experiences of women and other gender-diverse persons– that we begin to bring life to what justice, and its very spirit and essence, truly stands for,” she remarked.
Affirming the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), the lecture on Legal Feminism in Philippine Gender Jurisprudence Study left an indelible mark on the legal landscape and on the audience present, igniting a collective commitment to advancing gender justice within the Philippine jurisprudence. With Legal Feminism at the forefront, the journey towards a more equitable and inclusive society continues— one verdict at a time. (Article by Rita Lopez and Antonio Lim, Jr., UIO Interns | Photos by Justhine Plana, UIO Intern
