WATCH: Transforming the narratives of women in the Bangsamoro

Not many women have an extraordinary life as Hadja Bainon Guiabar Karon, but her story is a common narrative among the many women who took part in “the struggle” – a term that has inevitably defined the lived experience in Muslim Mindanao. She tears up when she recalls those days of conflict that caused her pain and loss. Her eyes glimmer with hope as she talks about the increasing roles of Muslim women in influential spaces and the long but optimistic journey to peace.

Bainon Karon stands on her personal histories: from her days with the Moro National Liberation Front to pushing for women’s roles amidst the peace process to sitting as the current chair of the Bangsamoro Women Commission.

She has lived through war; now, she lives for peace. Her awards and recognitions are just small victories; the greater victory lies in the progress of her homeland and its women. – Rappler.com

This story was produced under the “Telling the BARMM Story Media Fellowship ” by Probe Media Foundation Incorporated (PMFI) and The Asia Foundation (TAF).

Special thanks to Bainon G. Karon, Bangsamoro Women Commission, and Mohamiden G. Solaiman/BMN.