10/03/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | From Privilege to Right: Why Womenโs Month Still Matters
by Sofia Marie P. Manila
When I was a kid, I never really understood why Womenโs Month was celebrated or why women had to fight for their rights. I grew up in a household where women were respected and valued, so to me, equality felt natural and normal. I thought that if people simply respected one another, there would be no need to highlight women separately.
But as I grew older, I realized that the "normalcy" of my home was actually a privilege that remains a distant dream for many. I began to see the realities many women face: harassment, being told "no" before they even start, and the exhaustion of the double standard.
Historically, these barriers were even clearer. For generations, women were denied basic rights: the chance to get an education and the right to vote. A womanโs mind was seen as secondary to her housework. Even after we finally forced our way into the classroom, women had to fight for a seat at the political table to prove we weren't just subjects of the state, but citizens who could lead it.
Society long limited women to the roles of housewife or mother. While honorable, we are so much more: we are the leaders and innovators. Yet, even in the highest levels of science, the Matilda Effect saw womenโs work credited to men. This isn't just the ghost of the pastโit lives on the "Pink Tax" and the Wage Gap, where we are literally charged more for living while being paid less for working.
Even today, these biases persist. In the Philippines, we saw this clearly when Anne Curtis, a known actress, television host, model, performer, and UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador, publicly called out inappropriate remarks made by a congressman during a hearing in a Congress. The fact that his wife apologized on his behalf, rather than the man himself taking accountability, is a stark reminder of the "invisible labor" and "mental load" women are expected to perform.
Meanwhile, we have to recognize that this fight isn't the same for everyone. This is where intersectionality takes place. While all women face barriers, those held back by poverty, isolation, or prejudice have a much steeper climb. Real progress only happens when we make sure the most silenced voices are the ones we lift up the most.
Womenโs Month exists to honor the struggles of the past, but it is also a call to action for the present. It reminds us that respect is not just a feelingโit is a practice of accountability. It is a challenge to men to move beyond "loving their mothers" and toward actively calling out sexism in the rooms where women aren't present.
We have come a long way, but there are still barriers to break. By uplifting every voiceโ especially those silenced by poverty or prejudiceโwe ensure that every girl grows up in a world where respect isn't a lucky privilege of her household, but an unshakeable right of her existence.
