Issues of Life: Hail to You, Women of the Philippines and of the World

Hail to You, Women of the Philippines and of the World

Photo courtesy of Photobucket

Last March 8, 2010, the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. This month, the Pinay women celebrates National Women's Month. I hailed the Pinay women in my other blog "Awesome Pinoys: Disciples of Philippine Progress" and I've decided to hail them again in this blog, together with all women of the world.

We've come a long way-- from Eve until today's modern woman; if you count Darwin's theory of evolution, from female Neanderthals to great beauty today. From time immemorial, we've seen women play great roles in history, in governance, even in kingdoms ruled by a queen (queendom?), in politics, education, in advocacies, in business, and other fields. They influenced their men to influence nations, 'launched thousands of ships' because of love, made to marry men of power to bind nations in peace. Without women, people would not multiply and societies and nations would never be born. Without women, there won't be mothers who would care, nourish and teach children to grow up and be good adults and human beings.

To share with you what I wrote in my other blog, do you know that the ratio of Filipino men to Filipino women today is 1 man to 7 women? As this is the case, our women have empowered the men in business and entrepreneurship, according to 1888pressrelease.com. The Philippines has the greatest percentage of women in senior management in the world. That's because Pinay women are hard-working, diligent, and creative and are willing to do anything for the benefit of her family. Although many are in senior management, many Pinays are also managing simple sari-sari stores, lugawan (porridge stalls), fish and vegetables stalls, etc. Many have left their homes and children to work abroad as domestic helpers to help make a better life for their families here.

In international news and cable t.v., we, Pinays, see the women of the world, either in very significant positions as ambassadors, secretary of state, politicians, women-evangelists, Hollywood actresses or those in media, in sports, etc.; or as a simple American housewife portrayed in movies and sitcoms, or as a Thai food vendor in Bangkok, the Vietnamese lady farmer tending to her rice fields, the African woman who advocates the building of toilets for her tribe, the tribal woman who breastfeeds her baby placed in hammock-cloth tied to her neck and shoulders while she grinds meal to cook, the Japanese woman who pours tea graciously, the Latinas who dance the samba in mardi-gras, the French woman-chef who exquisitely stirs her onion soup, the woman who launders her family's clothes in the Genghis River in India, and many, many more images of women all over the world.

Hail to you, women of the world! To the Christian women of the world, hail to you for your faith and surrender to the word of God and for simply being a light into this world.

Thursday, March 11, 2010