The Centro Saka, together with the Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK), supports endeavors that seek to empower the rural women sector. While we may have preferred a separate bill to cater the rural women, the Magna Carta of Women substitute bill equally supports and considers the agenda of the rural women as a marginalized group.

In adopting the Magna Carta's proposed provisions for women fishers, women small farmers and rural workers, and indigenous women, help clarify how these sectors are regarded and the reasons why they are marginalized.  

However, with reference on using the term "fishers" and "fisherfolk", we propose to use the term "fisherfolk" when we are citing the sector in general or they are taken collectively, so as to be consistent with the Fisheries Code of the Philippines (RA 8550). But, when specifically referring to women, we would rather use the term "women fishers" over women fisherfolk. Minor as it may sound; this is considered a great deal from among the women fisher advocates. 

For the farmers, the fight for agrarian reform has been an incessant struggle among the peasant networks. The women farmers have been steadfast in pushing not only for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program but also in presenting appropriate measures to promote gender equality in agrarian reform. Thus, women farmers assert for gender responsiveness in the identification of agrarian reform beneficiaries, access to and delivery of support services.  The key message is to be given due recognition on her right to own and control the land she tills.  These concerns have been lobbied and included in the recently legislated five-year Extension of CARP.

It is argued that "rural women's entitlement to the land is strategic not only to the attainment of individual rights and self empowerment but also to over-all rural development and food security^[2]." The immediate enactment of the Magna Carta will reinforce this claim of the women farmers.

For our indigenous women partners in Mindanao, the Magna Carta will not only uphold their cultural integrity as indigenous peoples but also serve as safeguard to cultural practices that discriminate them as women.  Citing provisions that specifically recognize and preserve the rights of Moro and indigenous women will help them articulate their concerns over practices that they find discriminating, i.e.  cases of arranged "early" marriage and polygamy.

Finally, apart from the celebration of the Rural Women's Day, an affirmative rural women program is lacking. There has been no comprehensive and institutional approach to uplifting the status of the rural women.   While much remains to be seen, the passage of the Magna Carta of Women can provide a strong environment that would increase the recognition of the roles and contribution of rural women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples.

^[1] Represented by Janelyn Francisco, of the Rural Women Center, Centro Saka, Rm. 321 PSSC Bldg. Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, centrosaka_women@yahoo.com.ph. tel nos. 926-6607 (telefax), 928-7464.

^[2] Centro Saka, Inc. Farm Bulletin, Vol.1, No. 1 January-March 2006. (Exploratory Review of Agrarian Reform Gender Policies by Daryl Leyesa)