Who Are You, Woman?

To celebrate this Women's Month, I come up with a list of how we women are often perceived by men or by society.

Get married. After we get a college degree, we are expected to walk down the aisle. Never mind if we don't find a job yet. My parents once divulged to me that when they were flying to Manila to attend my university graduation, they were already preparing themselves if I decided to get married right after college. Had I chosen that path, they would have supported me. Whut? That was how much they love me and respect whatever decision I make. But, come on! That was the last thing on my mind. Didn't I get married in my 29's?  

Become a mother. To be able to bear children is a blessing. But it's another blessing, too, if you do not have children. It doesn't make you less of a woman.  

May or may not work. It's perfectly acceptable not to be earning for yourself. But men must work and earn! Well, let me tell you this. Yes, we women can choose to labor or be pampered, or both. That's the beauty of being a woman. Ha ha!

Expected to clean up. Yeah. Several times, when I am with family or friends, the boys or men would really expect women to clean up. So, in most cases, we cook the food na, we clean up pa afterwards. I am not sure if this applies to other cultures/countries, too. Well, I am tamad (lazy) to do chores, especially house chores. I can do it, of course, but I just don't enjoy doing it. Ha ha! Sorry, I don't think my being a woman can be defined by cleaning up the mess.

Wear many hats. Do I need to elaborate? We can do anything and everything (legal, of course!) if the situation calls for it. Ha ha! And we are the queen / king of multi-tasking. For example, while we are cooking, we are also scrubbing the floor, doing the laundry, or pressing clothes. For others, they are putting their child to sleep while cooking, or while waiting for their children to get off from school, they do the grocery. The list could go on and on!

Higher threshold of pain/patience. I think for the most part, we can endure more, and sustain more. Last year, in the WomenBizPH talk, Dr. Iboleen Dy, Chair, Philippine Heart Association Council on Women's Cardiovascular Health, shared, "Heart attack is the leading cause of death of women. Note these alarming stats: One of three women die of a heart attack while one of 30 women die of cancer. That is because women generally have a high threshold of pain as we try to do everything and we wear several hats. If we do feel any hurt somewhere, or we suddenly feel tired, nauseous, we would pass these symptoms off and dismiss them as nothing serious."

And most importantly, we can be smart and beautiful, clever and sweet. Yes, we can be both. *wink* Women are now empowered, and know what they want and know how to get it!

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