SARILAYA

SARILAYA, meaning “gender freedom” in Tagalog, is a socialist ecofeminist organization started by the women who participated in the movement against the dictatorship of Marcos in the 1990’s in the Philippines. Women, girls, gender non-conforming people from both urban and rural areas across the Philippines are members of SARILAYA whose key programs center holistic wellbeing of their communities and Mother Earth. SARILAYA’s members are working to feed, heal, house, and educate their communities to build grassroots self-reliance. They have set up food and herbal medicine gardens, community health centers, and trained several women healers who provide alternative health care including mental health support for their communities. They have set up several cooperatives for livelihood support and succeeded in attaining housing rights for women. They have built day care and education centers for working class families, and also engage in advocacy work by uplifting women’s issues in local and national elections.