It was in St. Scho where I learned everything women can be. We discussed sexism, but I had never experienced it. There was no such place in our school or in our home for such a culture.
As I moved from high school to college and was more exposed to men, womanhood seemed to mean that I would have to always defend who I was, to take up space assertively if I was ever to keep it.But it was also as clear as day that boys were not conditioned to do the same. Women anywhere we want to be should be the norm. We are athletes, politicians, doctors, and scientists. We are whatever we want to be.
The Philippines takes a lot of pride in being one of the most gender equal countries in the world; but being one of the most gender equal countries is not the same as real gender equality. Losing power in political positions means that we are losing power in a realm that shapes where our country, our culture and values are headed. We dropped from the Top 8 in Gender Equality to Top 16 in just a year.It is an alarming reminder that the rights of women were never freely handed to us, they were fought for.