Wrapping up women's month
Published Apr 2, 2022 12:05 am
IT'S THE SMALL THINGS
And just like that, it’s April. In a blink of an eye, the first quarter of the year has just passed us by. With the semblance of the old normal returning, days are definitely going by much quicker, and we are once again loading them up like we used to. Gone are the days of slow living, but I do hope we relish in those memories, and the momentum that opened our eyes to what truly matters in life. As we wrap up women’s month, I wanted to shed light on a topic people often choose to keep mum about – not because it is controversial, but perhaps because of the shame that is oftentimes involved. In this space today, I want to talk about victim blaming, working towards continuously getting rid of that glass ceiling we aspire to shatter everyday, and how nurture can play a big role in raising the women (and men) we want to see in this world.
Let me start off with victim blaming, more specifically, in scenarios and situations that involve cat-calling, sexual assault, harassment and even just making inappropriate comments and remarks that are derogatory towards women. I have read many accounts – mostly anonymous – only some of which have an actual woman coming forward. Understandably, a lot of security issues surround this, but more so, it is an inner-crisis that one must choose and be ready to face in order to fully recover. A lot of the time, it is because of embarrassment, resulting from faulting oneself over what has transpired even if the woman in the situation was entirely the victim. In a society where machismo still has a pretty prominent place, women who are victim to such situations are often predisposed to blame themselves – all of a sudden, their way of dressing is labeled as promiscuous, and their actions, provocative – when really, they are just expressing themselves and their identity, with no fault whatsoever. Seeing more and more women speak up about their experiences is definitely promising, and is not only giving confidence to those who are still mustering up the strength to do so, but educating others as well. So many, to this day, are even oblivious to the fact sometimes that they are already being exploited.
Undeniably, so much progress has been made with regards to women in the workplace. Many in the Philippines hold executive and managerial positions, and in most industries, gender discrimination has no more place. But there is still a glass ceiling that needs to be shattered. Truth is, there are still certain occupations that are deemed “for women,” while some industries still favor men because “women are not physically strong enough , to perform certain tasks.” Unfortunately, as well, there are still instances where women are paid lower than men for the same job. This inequality is definitely something we must work towards getting rid of – slowly, but surely.
At the end of the day, I personally feel that a strong influence towards how women act and carry themselves boils down to how they were raised and nurtured. As early as childhood, we are unknowingly exposed to gender stereotypes because we do not make the conscious effort to go against them. For example, must a girl always be gifted with dolls even if she prefers blocks and toy cars? Must we always condition little girls to believe that pink is solely for them, and blue for boys? We may not realize it but these small influences can only expand, and be carried all the way till childhood, adolescence and then adulthood. If we empower our children as infants and toddlers to believe that they have equal rights and choices in this world – starting with things as small as equal color and toy choices – they carry that confidence with them throughout their teenage years and adulthood. And may we never forget that the security, the love, and the environment we raise our children in can ultimately dictate the person that they become later on in life.
And just like that, it’s April. In a blink of an eye, the first quarter of the year has just passed us by. With the semblance of the old normal returning, days are definitely going by much quicker, and we are once again loading them up like we used to. Gone are the days of slow living, but I do hope we relish in those memories, and the momentum that opened our eyes to what truly matters in life. As we wrap up women’s month, I wanted to shed light on a topic people often choose to keep mum about – not because it is controversial, but perhaps because of the shame that is oftentimes involved. In this space today, I want to talk about victim blaming, working towards continuously getting rid of that glass ceiling we aspire to shatter everyday, and how nurture can play a big role in raising the women (and men) we want to see in this world.
Let me start off with victim blaming, more specifically, in scenarios and situations that involve cat-calling, sexual assault, harassment and even just making inappropriate comments and remarks that are derogatory towards women. I have read many accounts – mostly anonymous – only some of which have an actual woman coming forward. Understandably, a lot of security issues surround this, but more so, it is an inner-crisis that one must choose and be ready to face in order to fully recover. A lot of the time, it is because of embarrassment, resulting from faulting oneself over what has transpired even if the woman in the situation was entirely the victim. In a society where machismo still has a pretty prominent place, women who are victim to such situations are often predisposed to blame themselves – all of a sudden, their way of dressing is labeled as promiscuous, and their actions, provocative – when really, they are just expressing themselves and their identity, with no fault whatsoever. Seeing more and more women speak up about their experiences is definitely promising, and is not only giving confidence to those who are still mustering up the strength to do so, but educating others as well. So many, to this day, are even oblivious to the fact sometimes that they are already being exploited.
Undeniably, so much progress has been made with regards to women in the workplace. Many in the Philippines hold executive and managerial positions, and in most industries, gender discrimination has no more place. But there is still a glass ceiling that needs to be shattered. Truth is, there are still certain occupations that are deemed “for women,” while some industries still favor men because “women are not physically strong enough , to perform certain tasks.” Unfortunately, as well, there are still instances where women are paid lower than men for the same job. This inequality is definitely something we must work towards getting rid of – slowly, but surely.
At the end of the day, I personally feel that a strong influence towards how women act and carry themselves boils down to how they were raised and nurtured. As early as childhood, we are unknowingly exposed to gender stereotypes because we do not make the conscious effort to go against them. For example, must a girl always be gifted with dolls even if she prefers blocks and toy cars? Must we always condition little girls to believe that pink is solely for them, and blue for boys? We may not realize it but these small influences can only expand, and be carried all the way till childhood, adolescence and then adulthood. If we empower our children as infants and toddlers to believe that they have equal rights and choices in this world – starting with things as small as equal color and toy choices – they carry that confidence with them throughout their teenage years and adulthood. And may we never forget that the security, the love, and the environment we raise our children in can ultimately dictate the person that they become later on in life.