The Philippines is the last country in the world without divorce aside from the Vatican.
Gabriela, the National Alliance of Women, has been fighting for its passage since 1989. But at every turn, they’ve faced resistance, especially from the church. This is despite the fact that almost half of separated Filipinas suffer from spousal violence. A rate 63% higher than the global average and the most urgent reason to pass the world’s last Divorce Bill.
To shed light on the stories behind these numbers, we turned to a common wedding tradition and asked: What happens when love fades? The answer: Only the worst remains.
Introducing Blackout Vows, broken vows that highlight the fight to pass the world’s last Divorce Bill. Each Blackout Vow is inspired by real stories from survivors of marital abuse.
We invited the members of Divorce for the Philippines International, both men and women, to bravely share their painful experiences from their abusive marriages. Drawing from their stories and the art of blackout poetry, we shaded choice words from traditional wedding vows to create short yet powerful statements that reveal the reality of a cruel and life-threatening spouse. Each Blackout Vow underscores the urgent need for a divorce law in the last country without one.
“Blackout Vows” was first exhibited during the State of the Divorce Bill Address at the Commission on Human Rights Philippines, a parallel event to the President’s State of the Nation Address. There, lawmakers, lawyers, students, and survivors of marital abuse joined voices to call on the government to prioritize the long-overdue passage of the bill.
Online, the campaign launched on International Women’s Day through a powerful film and hard-hitting social media posts. We invited Filipinos to create their own Blackout Vows in a national broadsheet, reaching over 480,000 readers. The movement even made its way to the Senate, where it inspired key allies like Senator Risa Hontiveros to speak out and urge fellow lawmakers to pass the bill.
People from all walks of life joined the movement. Further harnessing the power of poetry, spoken word artists hosted a fundraising open mic night in support of the advocates. In the Lower House, Congresswoman and Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas took the floor to champion the Divorce Bill, asserting that it is a fundamental right of every Filipino.
The campaign brought the stories of marital abuse survivors into the spotlight, awakening more Filipinos to the truth that divorce is a human right. In a recent survey, 50% of Filipino adults now support the measure. There is hope in this uphill battle.
Together with the Filipino people, Gabriela and the Divorce Bill advocates will continue to fight for the passage of the world’s last Divorce Bill.
