AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD

Women are known to have less opportunities than men before the Americans emerge to colonize the Philippines. the colonization of the Americans gave Filipinas to widen their horizons by giving them opportunities to join the workforce, vote, and participate in political movements. Nearly half of manufacturing and agribusiness employees are women, as are half of the landless peasants, and both groups suffer from low wages, a lack of health coverage, and unsafe jobs. in order to respond to the problems faced by women, women organizations started to rise during the 1960s.

The fight for women's suffrage in the Philippines was a long process that began with Concepcion Felix Roque and her association, the Asociacion Feminista Filipino. The association campaigned for changes in labor laws, healthcare, and the criminal justice system, and pushed for the inclusion of women in local boards of education and municipal committees. Roque and Teodoro M. Kalaw worked towards passing legislation to support women's rights. In 1907, a bill supporting women's suffrage was introduced to the First Philippine Assembly but was ultimately declined. In 1912, the Society for the Advancement of Women was formed, which later became the Women's Club of Manila This association gained support from Francis Harrison, Leonard Wood, and Frank Murphy. The League of Women's Suffragettes was established in 1920 by the Women's Club, and the National Federation of Women's Clubs was founded the following year. In 1933, Frank B. Murphy signed the Women's Suffrage Bill, which required a plebiscite. On April 30, 1937, 447,725 women voted to extend women's right to vote.

Makabayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Makibaka) is the first revolutionary women’s organization and agrees with the objectives of the clandestine New People's Army but also acknowledged the injustices meted out to women by male political, clan, religious, and clan authority that are manifestations of a feudal-patriarchal mindset and system. the organization also aims to create associations in both urban and rural areas. however, in the latter part, they flourished as an underground organization due to the implementation of the martial law in 1972. in 1984, began the emergence of legitimate militant women's organizations that had been properly registered with the government was made public.

The General Assembly Binding Women For Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership And Action (GABRIELA) is the largest nationalist women’s coalition in the Philippines. The organization’s name is in honor of the notable Filipna heroine Gabriela Silang. it is known for its cross-class associations as the members came from different social classes- upper middle, middle, and lower classes. The association have gathered three major concerns seen in society: Recognition and advancement of women's rights and welfare; advancement of family welfare and children's rights; and assurance of the general economic, political, and social conditions necessary for the effective exercise of women's rights and the full advancement of women's, the family's, and children's welfare. They have also demanded that women have the right to maternity benefits and the right not to lose their jobs due to pregnancy, as well as that men and women be treated equally under the law and receive equal pay for equal work.