If I have to, I can do anything. I am strong, I am invincible, I am Woman.
- Helen Reddy
Hello, Ladies of Hive Community! Happy New Month every one!
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I grew up in a place where most men are much more appreciated than women. It is said that men are more capable of doing something than women that's why they are more appreciated in the community.
When I was a little girl, I used to hear some elderly saying that women are just bound to be housewives. No matter if she finishes her studies, still she needs and is obligated to be a wife who will just stay at home and take good care of her family and do some house chores. Another saying that I heard was women are weak and we can't do what men can. These sayings I heard are always repeating in my mind and I was able to believe in them. But as days goes by, slowly those implanted beliefs and words faded. It fades away because of the things that I had witnessed around.
My two aunts are one of the great examples that what men can do, we women could do it too. My other aunt who is the eldest sister of my mother had gone through difficult situations when my uncle (her husband) died. Since she was the only left family with their 4 kids, she did things that she hadn't done before.
A woman Plowing
Imagine a woman plowing in the field battling under the heat of the sun, controlling the plow and the carabao's movement. That's a hard job to do but my aunt did it not only to sustain her family's needs but to prove to society that women aren't just nobody. Knowing how people think before, they would say that a widowed woman is pitiful because it would be very hard to do things that she wasn't used to and those things are supposed to be done by men only. My aunt proved to them that what her husband could do, she could do it too. It's very rare to see women plowing the vast farm but I'm super proud of my aunt because she is a strong woman for her family and herself.
A woman Driving A Motorcycle
One issue that I overheard before from a group of people was about a woman driving a motorcycle. When I was still small, a woman who knew how to drive a motorcycle was a big thing in society. They would say that it's inappropriate for a woman to drive because it's only suitable for men. The second aunt that I am so close to knows how to drive a motorcycle. With it, she receive lots of inappropriate words from other people but she ignored them and proved to them that knowing about this skill is very helpful especially when running some errands. It took many years before people appreciates or acknowledge a woman doing it but were glad that they are now open to a woman driving a motorcycle.
A Woman Climbing A Coconut
My aunt who knows how to drive a motorcycle was also the one who climb coconut trees every morning and afternoon just to get some coconut wine. It will then be delivered and sold to one of the stores in town. Using her motorcycle, she loaded those containers of coconut wine and headed to the town. Some people think that this kind of work was good for men but as days pass by, this was also done by women who struggle with their everyday living expenses.
Surrounding myself with great and strong women changed my belief in regard us, women. I then believe that women can do what men do. It's just a matter of learning and exploring beyond our capabilities. As what my partner had always told me whenever I say that I can't do it, he would say "it's only on our mind that we can't do it, but if we tried, we then realize that we are doing it and we are capable of doing so.
Just like those great women that I had encountered, I also explore and learn things beyond what society thinks about us women. I learn to do construction work, I learn to fix things but not all of them only those whom I had learned before when I was studying electronic courses and carrying some heavy things that I thought I can't do so. I discovered to do all those stuff when my partner let me realize that life isn't easy as I think it is. For us to survive, especially women, we need to work hard, sacrifice, and many more just like what men do.
There may be times that I cried because of the difficulties that I had gone through but after expressing my heart, I fight again. Those experiences made me tougher and stronger as a woman.
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