LAMANG NA BA ANG BABAE?

BY JAYVEE MACAPAGAL

I am not a woman

It is not fair for me to pretend that I understand what it's like to be one The historical system did not require my gender to fight for decades for suffrage, to attend schools, or even to enjoy the fruits of our labor So instead, I write this as a son of a mother, a brother of a sister, someone's male best friend And so, from the other side of the lens, I answer the question "lamang na ba ang babae?" [Are women now at an advantage?]

I do not think women are advantaged now. Nor do I believe they ever went beyond the line that draws the limit of opportunities And even if they did, even when once they so desperately wanted to free themselves from abusive bondages and systemic restraint, that is clearly not where we are now And although it is true women have meritoriously achieved milestones within centuries of brawls and blows against the grip of oppression, it only took a portion of the road it would take toward the yearned equality

I asked female members in our group chat what it is like to be a woman in the 21st century Danah, 20, responded, "you can still read, hear, or watch [men] make discriminatory remarks about [women] which is demoralizing " Another commented, "tigilan na nila pangingielam sa katawan namin." [they have to stop controlling our bodies]

Kyle, 22, stressed her frustrations saying, "at times I feel degraded and I still fear becoming a victim of violence merely for my gender "

Women's excellence and efforts are often uncredited or disregarded. Patriarchy finds its way to rule over every story, monopolize power, and dominate our economy through exploitative exclusion in our society I am a man and I understand that this is wrong And if men are too vile to prioritize their pride over equality, then are they real men after all?

Clearly, there is still plenty of water in the ocean and the nearest shore is too far But history has proven that women survive

Women conquer. Women are strong and women prevail Feminist movements trailblazed tall waves that men aren't capable of calming And through our immutable support and participation in progressive activism, we can altogether secure a future where acceptance supersedes tolerance. Where there is no segregation of worth Where objective morality rises above invented social structures And where we recognize that women are not "less", nor "advantaged", but rather sufficient coequals who are allowed to be And it doesn't take a uterus to accept that only a human.