HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE
The Manila Bulletin was happy to be the media partner for SM Supermalls’ celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, which kicked off with a ‘Women Inspiring Women’ forum held at SM Aura just last Friday morning, March 7th. This was the first of several meaningful activities that SM Supermalls has lined up for Women’s Month.
With an array of accomplished and super-achieving women participating, the WIW forum was a great reminder of how the proverbial glass ceiling of gender has been shattered, and that in diverse arenas - from politics and LGU’s, to Commerce and Business, to start-ups and Tech, to hospitality and the Food industry, to Beauty and Skincare and sex therapy apps, to real estate and Sustainability - women are occupying top positions, and doing a stellar job running the businesses.
If in the past, there were industries perceived as male-dominated, such as Silicon Valley and Technology; that state of affairs is steadily changing. While there is still much to be done, the women operating within these industries are no longer seen as outliers or ‘exceptions to the rule’. But that isn’t to say that full parity and inclusivity has been achieved. In fact, in several instances, the idea of being ‘woke’ or inclusive has been subject to backlash and to ‘reconsideration’. In the US alone, the ‘resurrection’ of Donald Trump has given rise to a strong ‘anti-woke’ wave of sentiment, and we can foresee strides in inclusivity that were made in the recent past, being reversed or set back.
Which brings me to the reason the title of today’s column is about Women’s Month, yet has the word ‘Men’ in it. This is to drive home how important it is that we have men investing in women empowerment, and not seeing it as a threat or affront to their masculinity, or the long established order/hierarchy. Men need to accept, even embrace, gender inclusivity; so that it’s the whole of civil society working in harmony, and righting the historical inequalities and prejudices. It has to be a collective effort, about community.
Otherwise, we’re just replacing one form of exclusivity and dominance for a new one - and that kind of adversarial situation doesn’t work at all. In fact, the work of making the young boys of today possess the right attitude and views towards gender and inclusivity is super-important, and such an essential requirement - so that we don’t perpetuate the historical wrongs.
And keep in mind that what I’m ‘prescrbing’ is not that easy to achieve - to change a mindset that’s been ingrained for centuries. Women may rightly feel it’s about time; but then, get furious and militant, or gloat about their ‘victories’. And that will only serve to alienate the men; or worse, make them think they’re no longer participatory, or part of the solution.
On a micro-scale, let’s examine why the buy-in by men is so crucial. Let’s look at breast cancer in the Philippines. We have one of the highest incidence of fatalities due to breast cancer among ASEAN countries. This, at a time, when Medicine and Technology have been saying that when detected early, breast cancer is eminently curable. For the women who are in an economically-challenged demographic, we can think this refusal to be tested, or seek treatment, can come from a stoic acceptance of their fate, and not knowing how to pay for the treatment.
But from conversations I’ve had with volunteers of I Can Serve, the repeated refrain is also how these women don’t want to reveal they have detected lumps, or be tested, because of the genuine fear that their husband will leave them, thinking they’re defective, they’re ‘malas’, or that the cancer is contagious. And of course, there is that aspect of being a financial burden to the already-stretched situation the family is in.
So evidently, ignorance and stupidity reigns, bringing about unnecessary deaths; and the fact that in this day and age, Filipino men can have such disastrous notions about breast cancer helps us understand why the deadly cycle of misinformation and fatalities from breast cancer continues. This is just one example I can throw up where Men have to be part of the solution. If the Men don’t change their attitudes, their wrong-footed beliefs and notions, then we’re stuck; as it simply isn’t just a ‘Women’s issue’.
So as I sat at the Women Inspiring Women forum two days ago, I did cast my eyes to the audience, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t be an exclusively female crowd. That there would be men in the seats, ready to listen, and get a better understanding of the inequalities and prejudices women still face on a daily basis, what it takes to overcome them - and how we can all work together to make smarter decisions about gender inclusivity.