ZAMBOANGA CITY – For women to be the “guide” towards development, there should be
mainstreaming of their participation and equality with men in all aspect of
life and not be marginalized, said Ms. Maisie Faith Dagapioso of the
“Katilingban Para sa Kalambuan” (Society for Progress) in yesterday’s forum
held by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on women’s concerns.
Ms. Dagapioso
further said “it is not enough that women serve as guide towards development
but that they should work hand in hand with men, and be given more opportunity
to participate in nation building.”
“We
should not be on the sidelines watching while men do almost everything, for
example, in state matters. We have 24 senators but only three are women.
Majority of the heads of offices are still men. What we are saying is there
should be equal opportunities for both men and women. This way we can be more
productive and effective as guide to development,” pointed out Dagapioso, the
program coordinator of the Katilingban Para sa Kalambuan, a non-government
organization affiliated with the Zamboanga-Basilan Integrated Development
Alliance, Inc.
Ms.
Kates Allas of zambotimes.com, an online media outfit, also said that while
women may be less strong physically than men, women are at par with men in
other aspects.
“Admittedly,
we are not as strong as men physically. But when it comes to mental strength
and key aspects in everyday life, we are equal with men. That’s why we should
be given opportunities to show what we are capable of,” Ms. Allas emphatically said.
Dagapioso
also stressed the need for media to change its portrayal of women.
“Media
plays a big role in influencing the public. Unfortunately, even in media, there
are prejudices against women. Take for example, detergent soaps advertisements.
Women are always portrayed as housewives, whose image is just to do the
laundry, make things in order inside the house. In some liquor advertisements,
women are used to attract men to buy such products, which is demeaning to us women.
We are not empowered through media but it’s the other way around,” she rued.
The
different perceptions on men and women, according to most forum participants,
are cultural in nature. One participant summed it up in one simple statement
when she said: “Both men and women are victims of culture”.
Filipino
culture has taught us, especially those of the old times, that men should do
the work, while women should stay home and tend her family’s needs. This belief
has assigned roles to Filipinos based on gender which leans toward the
empowerment of men, but has limited women’s role in the family and society in
general.
Dagapioso
emphasized that this should not be the case now, as she talked about this
year’s women’s month’s theme, “Kababaihan: Gabay Tungo sa Matuwid Na Daan”.
“How
can we help guide in achieving development when we are marginalized? When we
are not empowered? We believe that for us to be effective, we should be
empowered, be in the mainstream, and participate in decision-making, policy
formulation and everything concerning our community or country. We should be
working side by side with men,” she espoused. (PIA9)