Nora M Protacio

Campaigner and Educator, Poor Women's Rights to Safety, Housing and a Decent Life - standing up for human rights

Nora Protacio has spent over 20 years educating the urban poor on their rights in the Philippines, in particular to decent housing. She has defended tenants during eviction crises and rallied communities to press for safe water, electricity and health services. A campaigner for women's rights, Protacio also educates women and families on domestic violence issues.

Protacio was born to a poor peasant family in central Philippines. Married at 16, she had six children, and was beaten by her alcoholic husband until she eventually left him. From being a community activist, she became spokesperson for the national women's organization Gabriela (now represented in the Philippine Congress), then secretary-general of Samakana, a women's organization working with the urban poor. Today, Protacio is chairperson of Piglas Kababaihan (Women's Struggle). With four million jobless and homeless urban poor in Manila, Protacio's message is clear: A job and a home are rights, not privileges.

Standing up for the principles of the Universal Declaration
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family." Article 22 guarantees the right to social security. Article 23 affirms the right to work, as well as to "equal pay for equal work" and "just and favourable remuneration."

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