ABSTRACT
The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) has had a long and chequered history, often interwoven with the twists and turns of Philippine feminism. The NCRFW's leadership has emanated from the Philippine women's movement, and from two streams in particular: liberal and left-of-centre feminism. Liberal feminism in the country emerged in the early 1900s, gaining force and visibility in the 1920s with the nationwide campaign for suffrage. For the Philippine women's movement, the decade of the 1980s revealed broad unities as well as deep fissures. The month-long process of consultations also prefigured the vibrant governmental organization-non-governmental organization (GO-NGO) partnership that would be foundational for the NCRFW's rebirth and new growth in its second decade. The Social Reform Agenda (SRA), espoused by the Ramos government to alleviate poverty and institute social re-forms, has its origins in the peace and NGO movements in the country.
