The Philippines is the best country in the Asia-Pacific to be a woman.
In the latest annual gender-equality-focused survey report of the World Economic Forum, the Philippines was ranked fifth among 136 countries that have closed the gender gap in four areas. The report surveyed first the economic participation and opportunity in the country, second was the political empowerment and equal representation in decision-making structures, third was access to basic and higher levels of education and lastly was the life expectancy and sex ratio.
Recently, different brands have also pushed for women’s equality. For example, Dove commercials focus on women’s “inner beauty” and also deal with most women’s self-depreciating tendencies. Another is Pantene’s advertising campaign #WhipIt, which hopes to put an end to women’s labels. The Pantene commercial shows the positive labels given to men, and negative ones given to women in the same position–a male CEO is called boss, a female, bossy; a working dad is called dedicated, a working mother called selfish. These may sound like trifles as compared to other national issues, but the fact that they are perceived as trifles is indicative of a problem.
Despite what the statistics say, the Philippines is not one of the best places in the world for women. There is a disjunction in the supposed gender equality we have achieved.
Women in power are either sexualized or made to look like mother figures. At home, girls are usually taught to take care of the house, while boys are rarely expected to learn to do laundry. What’s more is that the Philippines is also one of the worst countries in the world to be pregnant, according to the most recent State of the World’s Mothers annual report by Save the Children.
So what does this all mean? Why does it matter that young girls are prevented from owning their sexuality, lest they be labeled “slut”? What happens when advertisements for sanitary napkins use blue fluid when menstrual flow is red? When a young girl gets a baby doll and boys, a Lego set?
Systematically, girls are put into boxes. As they grow up, more signs appear: Women are less free. Women are subordinate. Women are wombs, and their monthly period is a curse. A woman was the first temptress. Women should cover up, because wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts is tantamount to “asking for sex” and men shouldn’t be blamed for taking that hint, right?
After all, women supposedly speak a different language: “No” doesn’t always mean “no” when a woman says it, or so the movies tell us. Men are from Mars, and women, from Venus. But I am sick and tired of that argument. All human beings are from earth, and no gender has a monopoly on communicating properly.
Though women are more or less accepted in positions of power–be it in government or in professional environments–I think that the gender gap is first bridged at home. From the very simple gender roles that are assigned at age three, when girls get miniature pink cooking sets while boys get a plethora of other toys. It is crucial that parents tell their children that girls can be engineers, scientists and even part of the police force. Gender should not be a hindrance or an identifier.
