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HEY SISTAH, THIS IS FOR YOU!
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Feminism has indeed gone a long way. Women nowadays have been able to gain equal footing with their male counterparts,
with many of them holding highly-responsible and important positions in government, entertainment, employment, and
many other significant aspects of living. We have had female presidents, female prime ministers, female heads of state,
female corporate leaders. Indeed, women have ceased to be just objects of fantasy. Women have been able to claim their
place in a world originally dominated by we-men.
We have sisters who enjoy power dressing and power tripping just as immensely as their male counterparts. We are no
longer just bringers of light and gatekeepers of hearth and home. We have come unto our own.
The road that feminism took has been long and winding.
Our sisters back then could not enjoy the same privileges that we have now. Yet, many of them struggled and dared to raise
their voices against prevailing inequality, choosing to bring forth their rightful indignation against patent gender issues
directly affecting women. Thanks to the support of their male counterparts, women now hold equal importance in holding
up half of the sky and even half of the universe.
In my country, the right to suffrage was voted upon in a men-only plebiscite in 1937. Thankfully, our brothers voted to
adopt the law, not against it.
. In the US,
women’s suffrage was achieved sometime between the late 19
th
and the early 20
th
centuries
Women’s suffrage was adopted as a right under
the
Convention
on
Elimination
of
All
Forms
of
Discrimination
Against
Women
by
the
UN
.
Back in college, I remember one female professor who absolutely refused to be called “Doctora”, her rationale being that
no such word exists in the English language. She had a right to be called “Doctor” just as equally as her male counterparts. I
have always believed she was right. “Doktora” exists in my language but spelled with a “K”, not a “C”.
What serves as a dampener to it all has been the fact that preconceived notions about the female of the species still
abound. Women are more reckless drivers. Women indulge in raunchier talk when they are together. Women commit more
terrible crimes. This is the age of enlightened, thinking people. Women can’t and don’t appreciate such concepts.
Consider the concepts of the words “Imeldific” and “bobbitize” as acceptable entries in dictionaries. Although they refer to
less palatable meanings, they certainly do not accurately portray what women generally are. And why do majority of
tropical storms carry women’s names? I’m sure some wisecracks out there will argue that it is because of the natural
tendency of women to have ever-changing moods.
Well, I guess such instances are fine, considering that we already have widely-used words like “beautiful boy” and
“metrosexual” as perfectly acceptable.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
What are your thoughts on gender equality?
2.
To what extent should feminism be espoused?
3.
What makes feminism a problem instead of a solution?
4.
What do you think of proposals to accept “non-natural females” or trans-genders in beauty pageants?
5.
Should women be accepted in the army? The priesthood? Why or why not?