Vibal and UP professors launch a definitive resource book on gender studies

Vibal Group, in partnership with the UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), launched Gender and Society: Understanding the Gender Dimensions of Philippine Culture, and Society on 14 July 2023 at the UPCWGS conference room, UP Diliman.

Written by a team of esteemed gender and women’s studies scholars, practitioners, and subject matter experts led by Dr. Carolyn I. Sobritchea, this book is a landmark body of work designed primarily for teachers, students, and policy-makers. This work is made up of various studies, presented as essays, “that examine the growth and direction of narratives of Filipino women across geographical locations, cultural groups, and political affiliations.” These studies were compiled to provide critical insights about gender and its dimensions across various socio-political states and different identities.

This book sheds light on the most important issues and challenges that have hounded Filipina women since pre-colonial times, such as various forms of discrimination and sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. In order to cope with their everyday needs and problems.  Aside from these, other common crises faced by Filipina women are discussed in this book, such as the high incidence of poverty, ”the phenomenon of uncoerced cybersex”, migrant marriages, and the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy.

The situation of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in the country is also extensively presented in this work. Here, we see the LGBTQIA+ sector as a “prime example of collective action, wherein members of a socially disadvantaged group…engaged in sustained, strategic, and organized tactics in order to challenge group inequalities and systems of hierarchy and privilege.” The book also points out that laws have been passed to develop gender-responsive policies, programs, and services. Although these are seen as significant gains, the persistence of patriarchal norms, beliefs, and behaviors are also drawbacks that continue to erode these gains. Through this volume, the authors hope that more programs and services are implemented by government agencies, combined with a renewed sense of personal empowerment would eventually resolve many gender-based issues in the country.  

Headed by Carolyn I. Sobritchea, Ph.D., the contributors in this book are as follows: Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, MD, Ph.D., Marie Aubrey Villaceran, Ph.D., Dr. Excelsa C. Tongson, DSD, Eric Julian Manalastas, Ph.D., Beatriz A. Torre, MA, Nathalie Africa-Verceles, DSD, Jaclyn Marie L. Cauyan, Ph.D., Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, Ph.D., and Veronica L. Gregorio, Ph.D.

The book may be purchased online at Vibal Shop (https://shop.vibalgroup.com), Shopee, Lazada, and GrabMart. For bulk orders, please contact customercare@vibalgroup.com.

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