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Kaka Bag-ao

In the Philippines, women tend to be puppets in political positions that male family members vacated until the men are eligible to run again. Dinagat Islands Governor Kaka Bag-ao proved that this system can be overcome through leadership anchored on people’s participation.

Kaka assumed her gubernatorial post in 2016. Before that, she was a representative of the province for two terms. She authored the landmark law on reproductive health that guaranteed universal access to methods on contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care. Her first stint in politics was as a party-list representative in 2010.

She passed the Philippine Bar Examinations in 1994, but instead of pursuing the lucrative career of corporate law practice, she chose to become an alternative lawyer. She did pro-bono work to defend the rights of farmers, fishermen, indigenous peoples, women and other marginalized groups. She stepped into the spotlight of public attention as the lead counsel of the Sumilao farmers, joining the 1,700-kilometer walk from Bukidnon to Manila to enforce the farmers’ rights over their ancestral land.

Follow her's and other stories in #FemaleForwardInternational.