Gender Biased Country

GENDER INEQUALITY:  THE PRESENCE OF SEXISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

As what we could see on TV, sexism is prevalent in this country. This is the discrimination based on sex or gender or the belief that men are superior to women and thus discrimination is justified. Despite numerous women movements, gender inequality is a hard topic to discuss.

I would site some example when women get pregnant and file a maternity leave, some companies deduct a percentage that depends on their year of service, thus reducing their retirement pay. On the other hand, men who file paternal leaves do not get the same deduction. I find this as a huge struggle for the women especially those who are considered as single mothers in our society.

Another related example can be noticed in work industries. Female workers who were hired in the mid of 1990s have compulsory resigned at the age of 55 while their male counterparts can still work until the age of 60. As we enter the new millennium and in the advent of new technology, I say, inequality against women has worsened as the years go by. Technology played a huge role in this struggle. The easy access to the internet provided people the convenience to sexually exploit women. Take for example pornography, prostitution, and even sexual harassment that could happen even on Facebook.

Since the evolution of media and advertisement, women have become sex objects. Women are portrayed as an object of sexual pleasure as you can see on alcoholic drink commercials, cigarettes, and other related products on the market that builds and emphasizes the machismo among men.

With all these examples I have presented, I have come to realize that there is an unclear boundary between art and sexual exploitation of women. There is a clear bias in how our society treats women compared to men. Although the government is doing something about this issue, I believe that it will never be resolved because the Philippines was built a hundred years ago from a patriarchal dominance by the Spaniards.