Sunday, September 14, 2014

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Success doesn't choose a gender

Lately I've been watching TED Talks in my free time and many of the top videos that I've been watching has something to do with feminism. Now, for those of you who don't know, feminism is "a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women", as stated by our good friend Wikipedia
"When a woman flaps her [butterfly] wings, she creates, she nurtures, she transforms."
Many of these talks create good solid points but I don't know much about feminism or activism to dwell on it for too long. I personally have my doubts but the people behind those talks were more than respectable enough for me to take their ideas into account. One of them was Miss Jenny Elmaco, a woman with a mission, whose talk I listened to live during the TEDx University of San Carlos event. She was also responsible for my being there

Jenny Lind Elmaco

Her talk overall presented facts that, if women were given the chance to affect the modern society, to have them empowered and uplifted, many positive changes could be made not only in infrastructure but also an impact in the country's overall economy.

As a young lady in my late teens, I always find it hard to understand why the women, close to my age or sometimes even twice my age, constantly complain about the lack of opportunities and/or their lack of action to attain said opportunities. Not only women but men as well. We are on the same playing field, the same situation with the same resources but why do some ascend and why do some stay stagnant? What is so different in the human psyche that prevents most of us from seeing what we already have and making use of them? I listened to miss Jenny's talk and kept comparing it to the actions of women and men I have had the blessing to know and talk to. I believe the theory of women not "rising" due to the fact that they are not empowered to be true. But I disagree that that drive needs to be summoned by an external force. Nothing can stop anyone from being who they want to be and what they want to achieve as long as their heart is set on it.

Featuring Dalareich and many more remarkable women

The timeline in my life that I am presenting to prove a point is during my college years, specifically in my sophomore and junior years. Being a student in Bohol doesn't really present you with many opportunities, especially if you are in the field of technology. So I took it upon myself to join organizations and attend events that will enrich my knowledge and will hopefully give me an edge as I graduate. 

My case is, of the two years I spent attending these events and inviting my classmates to attend with me, sometimes even offering to provide them free lodging or fare, only one has constantly attended with me and he is a guy. Being raised with eight male best friends, the fact doesn't bother me as much and I considered it normal. 

As I listened to miss Jenny's talk, I thought that it would have made more sense if I had a female friend jumping for joy as I invited her to these events. There was no risk of kidnapping or danger since either one of my parents would chaperon us during out-of-town events, I was female so no risk of sexual harassment or anything of the sort when we were alone, most of their parents already know me either personally or indirectly and they get to improve their skillset and make connections. A lot of the times, their parents do agree with me and it is just them that do not want to go. And I keep asking myself why? With the opportunity and resource readily available for you to take them, why are you not making the most out of it?

To get a solid answer to that question, I guess, is for me to experience life more. I do have one thing to say though: The women I do have the privilege of meeting are pretty kick-ass. And they are flapping their majestic eagle wings of greatness everyday.

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