What it feels like for a girl

Feminism is not at all about man-hating or makeup burning. The concept goes deeper than that and has more implications for you than you think. Here is a short look at how we got to where we are today.

Once upon a time in the world, women were not allowed to vote. Whoever dictated that our points of view were irrelevant is unknown, but this injustice marked the early stages of feminism. The first wave of feminism began during the 19th century in the US and UK with women’s suffrage groups rallying and picketing for our political rights.

When society finally acknowledged that we do have a voice, the second wave of feminism broadened it to issues of sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, etc. The patriarchal family was questioned, and it was acknowledged that women were capable of doing more than cooking and cleaning and caring for the husband.

While all of these progressions happened in the west, here in the Philippines it was a different story. Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, women actually held respectable positions in society. Hard to believe but once women were the chiefs of communities, their children bore their names, and they had the right to own family property. In indigenous communities, spiritual celebrations were centered on a woman priestess or the babaylan.

But then the Spaniards came with their ideas of religion and our indigenous ideas were replaced with their patriarchal ideas. Gender roles changed — women were made to believe that her existence was to serve her God, her priest, her father, her husband. This idea still holds true tin many places in the Philippines today.

In the 18th century, 20 women of Malolos wrote an angry letter to their governor asking for meaningful education. This act was a very badass thing to do at that time and may have been the early beginnings of women fighting for their rights. Rizal lauded their actions. 

When the revolution was formed against the Spaniards, women played an integral role there too. The likes of Melchora Aquino took care of these soldiers and attained to their wounds. Some more aggressive girls like Gregoria Montoya y Patricio led a charge of 30 men, and Agueda Kahabagan fought the Spaniards with a rifle. ?It was during the 20th century when feminism truly entered the Philippines as a concept. We began to form own suffragist movements — we fought for our right to vote. But it was only in 1937 that this request was granted. It took 30 years for our society to allow us to vote. Let’s please take a moment of silence to appreciate this fact.

Today, two women have already held positions as presidents of the Philippines. America doesn’t even have one. Our first woman president Cory Aquino would be remembered for saying, “I am not a hero like Mandela. The best description for me might, after all, be that of my critics who said: She is just a plain housewife.” But a housewife who would then lead a country is a remarkable feat for women in the Philippines.

The RH Bill was finally signed in 2012, but it took 13 years for it to happen. Progress is slow here, and the views of patriarchy still dominate our society. Mainstream media has yet to infiltrate feminist views into their material. But with the likes of pop culture in the West making feminism more accessible, it’s only a matter of time until we catch up to that pace.

Feminism is not about being anti-male or asserting our superiority over another gender. It stems from the fact that once upon a time, society had dictated our roles for us and we had to fight for our place in the world. Throughout the years, many women had fought for all the rights you are happily enjoying today. This is how you should understand feminism, and why it is still an ongoing struggle.