THE RISE AND FALL OF WOMAN

In celebration of International Women’s Month
March 2010

Just as singer/actress Barbara Streisand said, “The time has arrived”, we instantly knew it was Katheryn Bigelow who won the best director in this year’s OSCAR Award. It was even before the actual moment she called the nominee’s name. Bigelow is the lone woman nominee in the Best Director category and the first to win in the 82-year history of this most prestigious award-giving body, the American Academy for Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. This is a fitting salute to women as March is International Women’s Month. Hence, the whole month of March is filled with activities related to women’s issues and celebration of everything feminine.

Truly, women has come a long-way in our modern era. The prominence of women in every human endeavor is a testament that the feminine force is vital in shaping our civilization. However, I yet to fully understand why such issues as gender equality, human rights and liberty are to be addressed by the women’s civil right movements. I perhaps, living in a society with much regard to women, can not comprehend these problems that should not be an issue in the first place. I am not saying that the Pinays (Filipino women) don’t face the dilemma of inequality and liberation. Surely, they as a sector face the same problems with women the world over. Yet, I am thankful that in our society women are treated more fairly than in nations that are characterized by cultural restrictions of women and adheres to religious traditions that deemed the feminine gender inferior.

It is unfortunate that during the course of time, humankind (or at least the males) had transgressed from what has nature has preordained us to be: that either gender is equal and should co-exist. It is a basic biological truth that the genders are essential to the perpetuation of the species. The human race would not have survived to this day if it wasn’t so. If this is so, why do women has to assert their selves? There is not a single answer to this question. The complexity of this issue has been subject to scrutiny from anthropologist, social scientists, to the humanities. However, the result of these studies becomes irrelevant to resolve the issues of equanimity between the sexes since political power are held mostly by men.

Conversely, the men are not to be solely blamed for the inequality. Women themselves are partly responsible for this gender bigotry. Certain women’s rights movers pursue gender causes to serve their own personal agenda. These women are not better than the “male chauvinistic pigs” and misogynists they rant against. Some women use political seduction to entice powerful men to gain power for themselves to serve their vanity. Others seemingly fighting for social justice yet in truth are just conspirators to the greed of men they serve.

Women are indeed conspirators of men, in good or in bad. The rise and fall of great empires in the ancient world cannot exclusively be attributed to men alone. Think about Queen Nefertiti of ancient Egypt or Cleopatra who later played a major role in the fall of the Roman Empire because of her liaison with Julius Caesar.

The rise and fall of women can also be found in great literary work, mythology, ancient lore and legends. Greek mythology, at most, depict women as tragic characters such as Clytemnestra; while their beauty was the cause of bloody war and siege such that of Helen of Troy. The goddesses (and gods) of Mt. Olympus are depicted to have vulnerable personality as mortal beings. In English literature, the infidelity of Queen Guinevere ruined the friendship between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot that caused the dissolution of the Knights of the Round Table. Some legendary women such as Lady Godiva suggest inner strength that exudes the delicate beauty of their exterior. It is certain that in every nation’s art and culture you would find the feminine character figure prominently either as agents of creation or instruments of destruction.

In the realms of mysticism and religion, women figures distinctly from one belief to the other. In the esoteric religion, women are commonly regarded as of earth, thus the term “Mother Nature”. To this effect, we are born of earth and someday will return to it; where we rise, there shall we fall.

The varying perspective about the feminine role in every religion dictates the particular attitude of believers towards women. In the ancient Hebrew writings of the Talmud, for instance, states that “a birth of a baby boy is a cause for universal joy, while the birth of a baby girl causes universal sorrow” suggests an unfavorable attitude towards the feminine gender. Although women are regarded highly in the Koran, restrictions on women still prevail in some strictly Islamic culture. Perhaps, the interpretation of sacred writings and divine texts are misinterpreted or are intentionally distorted to suit the particular interest of certain institution or agency.

“And God created woman”, states the Book of Genesis. “Man and woman, He created them.” Hence, both man and woman labored to establish the foundations of humankind. Then, both suffered the consequences of their disobedience. Along the history of our salvation, women figured greatly as heroes of their people such as Judith and Esther. Some are hailed by their virtue as Naomi and Ruth; and the prophetess Anna; others by their courage and strength of character as the sisters Mary and Martha. On the other hand, there are those who became instruments of deceit, blind ambition, death and destruction such as Bathsheba, Delilah and Salome.

Ultimately, the salvation of our race was won by the God-Man Jesus, born of a woman named Mary of Nazareth who conspired with God’s plan. Later, the Apostles were strengthened by faithful women in establishing the Church. Throughout the ages, the role of women in Christianity became more prominent as many are recognized for their valiant defense of the faith that they were elevated to the altars of the Church. Some lived an inspiringly virtuous life that they were regarded as saints by the Catholic Church. Nowadays, there are women pastors in Evangelical Churches and in other denomination women are even ordained as priests.

Women from every era had made their mark as leaders. For instance, the two distinct eras of glory in the history of the British Empire, the Elizabethan and Victorian, are named so to the queens of its respective eras. Other women matched the bravery of men and led armies such as Joan of Arc, the maid of Orleans, and the Filipina hero Gabriela Silang.

In recent years, the greater participation of women in governance has brought them to the presidency or elected as prime ministers such as Golda Meir of Israel and Margareth Thatcher of the U.K. In fact, within a generation, the Philippines had two women presidents Corazon C. Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. There are more of them in the legislature and they are increasing in number in the judiciary. Yes even the military institution, the ultimate bastion of masculine dominance, is now infiltrated by women.

Unlike their grandmothers before them, women of today are access to education. Thus, many are in the academe as educators or administrators. Better education gave them more opportunities in whatever endeavor or career they opt to pursue. Today, there are more women who are visionaries, founders and prime movers of change. There are now businesswomen, CEOs and technocrats. Many more are authorities in whatever field of expertise. Undoubtedly, the rise of women in society had paved the way for greater progress and development not only for women but for all.

But amidst these opportunities and advancement in status, some aspects of womanhood are being compromised such as being better spouses or mothers. As women enjoy the fruits of success and as “bread-winners” themselves, there is a possibility for them to loose touch with their nurturing nature. Not that having her own career or working to augment the family income such a bad thing. However, it may take its toll on the formation of family values. Yet they have jobs and careers, the burden of keeping the home and rearing the offsprings remains in the cradling arms of womanhood. Without disregard to the role of fathers, motherhood is simply irreplaceable. Thus, the fall of women in this respect is the flipside of the issue of women’s rights.

In an impoverished nation, it is quite necessary for the women to work and earn more even at the expense of going abroad and be away from their family. In recent years, there is a marked increase in the number of Pinay Overseas Contract Workers (OCW) in our country. Today, it is almost equal the number of male OCWs. Most of them work abroad as nurses, teachers, domestic helpers, care givers and nannies. Unfortunately, there are those who were victims of human traffickers to end up as illegal migrants without work security and protection. Some have gone underground to work for organized crime such as those involved in illegal drugs, gambling and prostitution.

While they tend and serve others abroad, their own families are deprived of their personal care. Their husbands, on the other hand, are commonly underemployed or jobless thus they take on the place of their wives and become “house husbands”. There are perhaps as many reasons for being “house husband” as the men who are. If any of them do mind being labeled as “under de saya” (figuratively mean ‘under the skirt’) or a ‘hen-pecked’, they would better suffer quietly or learn to numb their masculine sense. There are those who are almost emasculated yet find no other choice to assert the vestiges of their masculinity. But we wonder why these men would allow the reversal of roles? Is this a victory for gender equality or a backlash from the strategy employed by women’s causes? I don’t have the answer to that. However, I could say that these men who relinquishes the reigns of authority to any woman will only do so to benefit their personal interest even at the expense of their own ego. We had heard of the stories common to this situation. Chances are their kids will be with grandparents, in-laws or whoever relative disposed to care for them while “house husband” enjoys all the free-time. Call them irresponsible, sloth or worthless slobs, oftentimes they would not give-up a ‘happy-go-lucky’ lifestyle while their woman toils for them; worst squander the hard-earned salary of poor wife. Think about it. Is this equality? Is this liberty or a deeper subservience to men?

Whether it is the rise or fall of womanhood, either way, reflects how the genders regard each other. And its social impact affects both. There is a saying that, “in every man’s success there is a woman”. Yet the fall of every great man may be caused by women by their side. In whichever case, we regard the significance of women in our existence. Their role is relevant in our society than any man will ever admit. Each woman’s achievement contributes to national progress; every fruit of service benefits their family and respective communities; and every success inspires other women to accomplish works they otherwise thought was impossible because they think of themselves as “just women”. On the contrary, every problem, sufferings and mishaps of women does affect those around them.

Men need women, surely. But that need should not be for sexual or servile purposes alone. Men have to fully learn to accept women as equal, maybe not in terms of physical strength (yet even that is debatable), but in dignity. Today, men from various cultures are coming to terms with the presence of powerful women. Societies are moving towards sharing power between the sexes. In these regard, women’s empowerment will not be effective, if not destructive, if it is used against the men. Rather it is to be integrated with the powers already held by men to be used for the good of all.