Abanse! Pinay
Abanse, Kababaihan ng Pilipinas (Abanse! Pinay) was a Philippine party-list group that represented women in the House of Representatives. It was launched on August 8, 1997, by PILIPINA, UKP, and WIN to secure party-list seats for Filipina women in the 1998 elections—the first time party-list groups contested in the House.
Abanse won a seat in 1998, filled by Patricia Sarenas, the first Mindanaoan party-list representative. After seeing no women's party-list win a seat in 2001 and a delayed eligibility ruling, COMELEC proclaimed Sarenas as Abanse's representative on July 10, 2003. Abanse did not win seats in the 2004 or 2007 elections and was delisted in 2009. Sarenas, from Davao, served in the 11th (1998–2001) and 12th (2003–2004) Congress, focusing on laws affecting women. She advocated for penalties for domestic violence, reform of vagrancy and prostitution laws, and changes to adultery and concubinage laws.
Abanse is credited with helping pass key measures: the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act (RA 8972, 2000), the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208, 2003), and the Violence Against Women and their Children Act (RA 9262, 2004).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:05 (CET).