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Dark years of dictatorship, struggle for freedom, and an unparalleled passion for the written word are what bind a sisterhood that has changed the landscape of Philippine democracy.

Surviving the tough years of Martial Law, the Women Writers in Media Now (WOMEN) has honed talents, ignited spirits, fought battles, and stood firmly for the truth. Starting as a small group that gathered in the Heritage Art Gallery to simply hone their writing skills or critique one another's works, there emerged a sisterhood that fought for press freedom amid the difficult dictatorial regime.

This sisterhood of eighteen women withstood decades of "dangerous writing" in all genres of writing. The 18 women journalists include Leonor Aureus Briscoe, Arlene Babst-Vokey, Sheila Coronel, Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, Fanny A. Garcia, Mila Astorga-Garcia, Sol F. Juvida, Fe Panaligan Koons, Marra PL. Lanot, Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon, Sylvia L. Mayuga, Gemma Nemenzo, Lilia Quindoza Santiago, Paulynn Paredes Sicam, Rochit I. Taedo, Marites Daguilan Vitug, and Criselda Yabes. In celebration of the 18th Paz Marquez Benitez Memorial Lecture, the Ateneo Library of Women's Writings (Aliww) showcases the life and works of these 18 women journalists in one exhibit entitled "Women Writers in Media Now" from February 21 to April 30 at the Ateneo Art Gallery.

"They have been writing for the last 30 years. They have sought hope especially when it was difficult to feel it during the political turmoil of the 80's in the Philippine society," Dr. Marlu Vilches, Dean of the School of Humanities of Ateneo de Manila University said.

WOMEN WRITING DANGEROUSLY

Ceres Doyo, Marites Vitug, and Jo-Ann Maglipon, shared their own stories of writing dangerously, navigating lawsuits and online writing, and raising the bar for entertainment writing.

In her first major article, Ceres Doyo recalled how her feature article about the killing of the Bugnay chieftain Macli-ling Dulag got her in trouble. "That was my first story, I got my editor and myself in trouble." She and then Panorama editor Letty Magsanoc had to undergo a public interrogation because of her article.

"To get to Bugnay village we scaled hills and crossed the raging Chico River with the help of Kalinga braves in G-strings. In the home of Macli-ing, I saw the blood on the wall and ran my fingers on it. I listened to the people's stories and took photographs. After that I don't know what possessed me but I just sat down and wrote. I sent the story and trembled. A dam inside me had burst," Doyo said as she remembered her "starting days" as a writer. When Pope John Paul II came in 1981 for a visit, he handed Doyo a Catholic Mass Media Awards trophy for her Macli-ing story.

She was later interrogated by the military on Macli-ing Dulag. This was the first interrogation she underwent.

It was repeated in 1983 for her magazine stories on the military's human rights abuses in Bataan, particularly on rebel-priest Fr. Zacarias Agatep. Then the Macli-ing story was again brought up. They filed a case against the military officers and won.

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The sisterhood of the written word