MANILA — Women artists and allies gathered on March 5, 2026 at Mejo Kitchen Bar for “Clapback: Half the Sky, All the Rage,” a benefit gig organized in the lead-up to International Working Women’s Day.
The event brought together musicians, advocates, and women’s groups for a night of performances, solidarity, and calls for policy reforms affecting women.
The program featured performances by artists including NOA MAL, SHNTI, The Purest Blue, IRREVOCABLE, Stef Arañas, Aunt Robert, and T33G33.
Rep. Sarah Elago of the Gabriela Women’s Party, Nikka C. Gaddi, and Nath Geralde also spoke at the event about the issues confronting Filipino women.
Event organizer and Sining Lila Vice Chairperson Raja Lynn Bausing said Clapback forms part of a series of activities led by women artists ahead of the International Women’s Day celebration. She said the gathering aimed to create a safe space for women artists, who continue to face harassment and discrimination within the arts industry.
Bausing added that the event also served as a platform to raise broader political concerns, including calls for accountability from both the Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte administrations over alleged corruption and abuses in government.
Photo by Sophia Cabugoy
During the program, Gabriela Women’s Party Re. Sarah Elago emphasized the need for structural reforms to address women’s economic and workplace vulnerabilities. She called for the passage of a national minimum wage, the removal of the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) which she said disproportionately burdens women managing household expenses, and the strengthening of the Safe Spaces Act.
Elago also highlighted emerging risks posed by AI-generated pornography and deepfake technology, which are increasingly being used to create non-consensual sexual images, stressing the need for stronger protections for women both online and in the workplace.
Organizers also reported an incident of police surveillance shortly before the event began. Bausing said that at around 6:40 p.m., two policemen wearing battle gear and carrying long firearms arrived at the venue and asked for the names of the organizers. According to Bausing, the officers said they had been ordered to check the area because many youth were present. The officers later left the site but told organizers that they would return.Despite the incident, the program proceeded as scheduled, with organizers reiterating that the gathering aimed to celebrate women artists while advancing advocacy on labor rights, taxation, and protections against gender-based harassment. (AMU, RVO)
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