The Philippine Commission on Women said the 2021 National Women’s Month serves as a tribute, a platform and a call to action to highlight the extraordinary roles of the ordinary Juanas in society as trailblazers and harbingers of change.
She was adamant that today’s reality is that, to survive both couples must work. Therefore, when they both go home, the tasks must be divided.
AS Women’s Month starts today, the heroism of women must not be celebrated just in words or token activities but must be actualized by pushing for equal workload to be shared by couples at home.
At least as far as Sister Mary John Mananzan is concerned, the stereotype that men provide for food at home and the women keep the house and children in shape, no longer applies as both men and women are now earning a living for the family, while the care and disciplining for children rest solely on the harassed wife.
“Today’s reality is that, to survive both couples must work. Therefore, when they both go home, the tasks must be divided,” she said.
Co- parenting or sharing of responsibilities—in house chores and raising/disciplining of children and teaching them in this pandemic period—where schooling is done at home—must be equally divided between them,” Sr. Mananzan said.
This, as the Philippine Commission on Women said the 2021 National Women’s Month serves as a tribute, a platform and a call to action to highlight the extraordinary roles of the ordinary Juanas in society as trailblazers and harbingers of change.
This celebration is also a venue to discuss and address the issues that women continue to face so empowerment can be fully achieved. The campaign is also a call for concrete, sustainable and inclusive actions towards gender equality.
Ironically, such empowerment seems to be defeated by the moves of some in government to barter Filipino nurses in Europe and America in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines.
“I think this commoditization of women is tantamount to human trafficking or modern-day slavery. Is this how low we regard the Filipino women nurses? What a shame,” a woman activist said.