The Gabriela Women’s Party has expressed disapproval on how the Ms. Universe pageant and other beauty contests tended to ‘commodify’ women by using their image in commercial use, products and services.
“Beauty contests are not okay if they tend to exploit women in a globalization-oriented trade regime,” said Rep. Luz Ilagan of the Gabriela Women’s Partylist on Monday.
“We are opposing pageants and other festivals that exploit and commodify women, and use the contests to promote using women’s image in commercial use, products, and services in a globalization-oriented trade regime,” Ilagan explained in Visayan language.
She mentioned that they are seeing this year’s Miss Universe pageant hosting as another attempt to package the Philippines as a lurid tourist destination for cheap, easily exploitable women.
While Ilagan said that the shows are fine, she said that organizers must change the form of the show that objectifies women in endorsing the tourism of the country.
“Ayaw po natin iyong ginawang lurid tourist destination for cheap and easily exploited women and Philippines,” she said.
Ilagan also stressed that objectifying women is not the primary objective of the pageants.
However, Gabriela clarified that its critique was on the pageant itself and not on the participants.
“We lament that women with ideals and aspirations are being used to promote commercial brands under the guise of “women empowerment,” Ilagan said, adding that empowered women would continue to protest the deceptive pageant and push forward the real agenda of peace and justice.
At the same time, Ilagan stressed that Davao City is lucky to have the Integrated Gender Development Office to educate the women on their rights.
The IGDD was created under the City Mayor’s Office following the passage of the Women Development Code on October 14, 1997, and that Davao City was the first to implement such rule.
IGDD acts as the coordinating, regulating and monitoring body of the city government and focuses on gender-sensitive projects and activities.
Ilagan also cited that Davao City has an ordinance dictating a “no swimsuit” policy for beauty contests held there to avoid objectifying women.
“Nakaka-Mutya ng Dabaw nga tayo na walang bikini competitions,” Ilagan said.
On the other hand, Ilagan said that it would be a challenge for the women’s group and others to educate the public to continue the pageants without commodifying women.
“Ang number one challenge talaga pwede naman tayo mag Miss Universe without objectifying the ladies,” she reiterated.
