Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/iris-c-gonzales/)
Iris Gonzales is a journalist based in Manila, the Philippines, who writes about economics, development and humanitarian stories.
On May 9 voters will decide whether Rodrigo Duterte becomes our next president. The cruel things he has said and done should disqualify him off the bat. But crime, corruption and poverty fuel him along.
They would rather be home taking care of their children. But they say mining operations are employing paramilitary forces to attack and harass them and drive them from their land. “I just want the killings to stop,” says one woman.
After Japan agreed to pay $8.3 million to a South Korean foundation that aids comfort women, a handful of Filipina survivors want that same recognition. But they also refuse to give up their freedom to keep telling their stories.
During chaotic, makeshift times, women throughout Kathmandu are playing key roles in holding their families and society together. “She always tells us not to be afraid and keeps a close watch on us especially at night,” says the 14-year-old daughter of one woman.
During a recent trip to Kathmandu, Iris Gonzales photographed the myriad ways women are playing a significant role in the difficult process of rebuilding. Here is a sampling of what she saw.
Her employer, a Chinese businesswoman, yelled at her, made death threats and cut her position without warning. In a haze of desperation she remembered a card in her wallet that another Filipina domestic helper had given her to call in an emergency.
Mary Jane Veloso, a migrant worker, was saved by a last-ditch effort by the Philippine government. Eight others convicted of nonviolent drug offenses were killed by firing squad, drawing global condemnation from rights advocates.
In May, Xyza Cruz Bacani leaves Hong Kong to start a prestigious photography fellowship in the Big Apple. Every domestic helper has a story to tell. Some tell of abuse, some of homesickness. Bacani’s is a dream come true.
Being both mother and father to the children is difficult, says an unemployed man whose wife works as a domestic helper in Dubai. The feminization of migration leaves more families affected by what one researcher calls the commodification of motherhood.
Pope Francis leaves his pro-family, anti-poverty message echoing in the Philippines, where poor families forgo artificial birth control and migrant workers feel compelled to leave their homes and travel overseas into the hands of powerful employers.