Pia: "More women should RUN!"

Opposition senator Pia S. Cayetano today welcomed the prospects of governors Ed Panlilio and Grace Padaca running for the top two posts in the country, saying that a deeper and more diverse field of candidates would give Filipino voters more options and better chances of pushing for much-needed reforms in 2010.

"Both have proven track records in initiating change and clean governance at the local level. We'd like to see more 'reformers' at the national level, and so the prospects of them running for higher office should be welcomed," said Cayetano.

The lady senator noted that underrepresented sectors must have a bigger say in government. She cited the case of Padaca, a hard-hitting radio announcer who overcame polio and her being a woman and non-politician to win a tightly-contested election in her province.

"More women should run for public office. Political parties should give them a fair chance to make their electoral tickets. Women bring a different perspective to governance. They see things differently because of their experiences and background. True democracy and prosperity requires gender equality at all levels and all sectors of society," she stressed.

Cayetano, President of the Committee of Women Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, pointed out that despite major strides in gender equality, the number of women around the world holding key positions in parliaments is still a minority.

She cited the latest survey of the IPU showing that across the world, women make up only 18 percent of members of parliaments. In the Philippines, women comprise only four out of 23 senators and about 25 percent of the membership of the House of Representatives. The ratio is even smaller for elected women officials at the local level.

"Being a woman alone does not automatically make a good leader, however. Voters should see through her qualifications, abilities and sincerity to serve. For instance, we do have a woman president now, but this has not translated into positive reforms, and neither for good governance nor women empowerment. Far from it, the exact opposite is happening!"

The lady senator, who herself ran as an independent and a virtual unknown five years ago, was voted top sixth in the Senate in the 2004 elections.

Aside from running for public office, Cayetano is also encouraging more women to run--literally--in races, whether as serious competitors or just for fun as a way to empower and keep themselves fit and healthy.

The lady senator, who just turned 43 last Sunday (Mar. 22), is also an accomplished triathlete (having finished the grueling Tokyo Marathon last Sunday), a lawyer, entrepreneur, and single mother with two daughters.

She is the founder of "Pinay In Action," a movement aimed at promoting women empowerment, health and fitness. One of the group's annual activities is an all women's run, the only one of its kind in the country, to mark International Women's Month.

This year's run will be staged on Sunday, March 29, at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City. The event will feature the 10-km and 5-km run, and the 1.6-km run for beginners where one-adult-one-child tandems will be allowed to participate. Men are welcome to join on the condition that they register with a female participant and that they won't be eligible for any of the prizes. On-site registration starts at 5:00 AM and races start at 6:00 AM. A Women's Expo will also be opened to the public, highlighting among others, booths on women's rights and breast and cervical cancer.

"Like in politics, the number of women participating in marathons is also a minority. There was even a time when women were not allowed to compete in marathons. But nowadays, women can enjoy both kinds of running - for government posts and running competitively."

"Women nowadays do not know how lucky they are for the rights they enjoy now were the fruits of the struggles of those who came before us. And yet, the battle for gender equality is still miles away. All of us, both women and men, should run towards that goal. Running is not just a sport; it's a way for women to express ourselves. I hope that women will flood our streets and run for gender equality," she concluded.