Abstract
During the martial law era (1972-1986), the militant nuns were the most visible symbols of political activism: they dominated the Task Force Detainees, they were active in the underground press, and were present in the labour strikes and demonstrations. But, in becoming political activists, they discovered the potential of moral power as women religious figures. During the People Power revolution, for example, the nuns – armed only with rosaries, confronted the military (the supreme example of machismo politics) and triumphed. In the process of attacking political oppression, these nuns also began to challenge cultural constructions of the feminine – becoming the first overt feminists to do so in Philippine history. This paper explores how martial law transformed these women into militant activists and feminists. Although driven by their struggle to protect the victims of martial law, they also succeeded in empowering themselves. This new ‘moral power’ has since been harnessed for women’s issues.
Highlights
The 1984 feature film Sister Stella L. had its main character Sister Stella say the activist slogan: ‘Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino pa, kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa! [If we do not act, who will, if not when else!] ’(Reyes 1989) This slogan was one of the catchphrases of the activists of the 1970s
This paper argues that it was the nuns’ unique positioning as ambivalent women that gave them power and legitimacy as political activists.[4]
In contrast to other women in radical politics, these women succeeded in becoming visible leaders and symbols of political activism while acting as a pressure group vis-à-vis the dictatorship
Summary
The 1984 feature film Sister Stella L. had its main character Sister Stella say the activist slogan: ‘Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino pa, kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa! [If we do not act, who will, if not when else!] ’(Reyes 1989) This slogan was one of the catchphrases of the activists of the 1970s.
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