Erudite Wordsmith

We blog almost anything! THE TEAM RESTY SANTOS, Executive Wordsmith SARAH LAGSAC, Associate Wordsmith JAKE NAPOLES, Communications Wordsmith GIRLIE FERNANDEZ, News Wordsmith CRIS EVERT TOLENTINO, Feature Wordsmith KENNETH MANDAP, Literary Wordsmith MICHELLE GUTIERREZ, Creatives Wordsmith PRINCESS BALTAZAR, Wordsmith SHIELA CALOPEZ, Wordsmith PATRICIA CASTILLO, Wordsmith ANGEL DAZ, Wordsmith CELSEA DUNTON, Wordsmith EMIAJ JAIME, Wordsmith ROCHELLE MALUMAY, Wordsmith ALEN SAMALA, Wordsmith JOYCE SANTOS, Wordsmith PATRICK SERVITO, Wordsmith DIANNE TAGUM, Wordsmith CHARISSA VILLANUEVA, Wordsmith MARICEL YANG, Wordsmith

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The Road to Success

by Sarah Lagsac

“I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. the slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist until I succeed”.  These lines came from Og Mandino’s I will Persist until I Succeed. Whenever I experience failure, I always remember this poem and it makes me strong again. I gain courage from this poem.

I’am a girl having a strong personality with lots of dreams in life. Others found me bossy. Whenever there are group activities, I always take the lead. I’am perfectionist. I always strive for NO.1, and in everything I do, I always give my best. Maybe those personalities lead me to success. However, whenever things went wrong, and it won’t happen according to what I want, I really get disappointed. I know it’s not a good attitude.

I want to develop my personality especially when it comes to dealing with failures and disappointments. I want to learn how to accept failures. In my life, I’ve always been a winner, in academics, in extra curricular, in everything. That is why it’s really hard for me to accept failures

Why? “Can anyone explain to me what’s the purpose of failing”? But things went different the time I encounter God. True enough, failing is painful, sometimes embarrassing. But God allowed those things to happen for us to remain humble and keep on depending on God’s hand instead of our own strength and knowledge. We may fail a hundred times but God’s promises remains. Just believe that He has something in store for you more than you could ever imagine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psgjh9jFyMs

The road to success is not that easy. It’s hard to achieve. You have to be patient and persevere, but at the end of each journey, success awaits. As mentioned in Og Mandino’s poem:  “So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now, I know one of the greatest principles of success, If I persist long enough, I will win. I will persist. I will win”.

photo credits: http://www.thebandpost.com/2015/09/achieving-success-in-your-band-program/

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Empowering Women for Development

by Shiela Mae Calopez

Photo credit:  www.teengazette.com

Gender equality is a human right but our world faces a persistent gap in access to opportunities especially for women. Gender equality means that the human rights of men and women are equally respected and that men and women have equal power and equal opportunities for political representation, financial independence, education, health and personal development. In a gender-equal society, women who desire an active role may participate in activities of their own choosing, while men could enjoy a fulfilling home and community life.

Photo credit: http://europeanmovement.eu/

In reality, women are globally deprived of opportunities for economic and political participation than men. They have also less access to basic and higher education,greater health and safety risks. Women's empowerment is a critical aspect of achieving gender equality. It includes increasing a woman's sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her access to opportunities, her power and control over her own life inside and outside the home, and her ability to effect change.

Education is a key area of focus in empowering women.  An educated woman is more likely to postpone marriage, raise a smaller family, have healthier children, and send her own children to school. She also has more opportunities to earn an income and to participate in political processes, and she is less likely to become infected with HIV. 

Another important aspect is women's health and safety. HIV/AIDS is becoming an increasingly impactful issue for women and can be related to women having fewer opportunities for health education, unequal power in sexual partnership, or as a result of gender-based violence. Maternal health is also an issue of specific concern. Quality maternal health care can provide an important entry point for information and services that empower mothers as informed decision-makers concerning their own health and the health of their children. 

A final area of focus in attaining gender equality is women's economic and political empowerment. Women comprise more than 50% of the world's population but they only own 1% of the world's wealth. Throughout the world, women and girls perform long hours of unpaid domestic work while in some places, women still lack rights to own land or to inherit property, earn income, or to be free from job discrimination. At all levels, women are widely underrepresented as decision-makers. In legislatures around the world, women are outnumbered 4 to 1, yet women's political participation is crucial for achieving gender equality and genuine democracy. 

Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their families, communities, and countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits everyone.

About the Author:

I’m a nineteen year old yet nine at heart Communication student who loves food and K-Pop. Being an only child and growing up with books have led me to create a world of my own. A world full of magical creatures and never ending adventures. A world which I would gladly share with everyone through my writing.

Follow Shiela on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

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What makes a woman?

Photo retrieved on studentaffairs.uci.edu

Photo retrieved from artfreakgal21.deviantart.com

“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.” – Bette Davis.

When we were still young, we were taught that a real woman does not compete for equality with men or chafe at God’s design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man’s role (1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:22-24). We were told that we are made to serve not only God but also the man that we are destined to. But the history shows how those words of God are taken advantage of. We have no voice. We were molested. We were harassed and forced to do things against our will. We were treated as if we are objects for amusements, pleasure, and a nanny in our own home.

And now that everything is changing and advancing, we are able to at least be acknowledged by the society. With all the petitions, bills and rallies, many remarkable women are able to revolutionize the society in which we live on because they know that a real woman is empowered to fight for what she deserves.

Photo retrieved from photoportrays.com

“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women” – Kati Annan

Women of world war one is one example of a great revolution, it gave the most women over thirty the right to vote through the Representation of the Act which was then extended to all women. Before, they need to go through a hard process of proving themselves right and worthy but now that technology has advanced and introduced more features, it was no doubt that feminist would grab this chance to advocate their beliefs.

The anonymity that the internet offers helped the bloggers in discussing sensitive topics such as gender equality or more specifically, women empowerment. With no clue as to who, what, where, when, and how or any information about the blogger, many are able to express themselves as loudly, as powerful and as impactful as they can, which resulted to the best blogs about feminism. Another one is the use of blogs to give advices to women and help them empower themselves. Also with Youtube or any social media sites, we now can search or deliver about once empowerment, we didn’t need to go through the traditional route just to make our point go across the public’s mind.

Photo retrieved from biography.com

“A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

So let’s listen to our power, the power of women. Let’s not step down on the women who are ready to carry, deliver, and nurture us and instead let us fight for the right that we deserve because at the end of the day, as Roseanne Barr says it, nobody gives you power, you take it.

I am the jolly Sam to my friends, yet the spoiled Alen to my family. K-Pop is the most influential and greatest turning point in my life as it transformed me into a self-proclaimed dancer, bathroom diva, and an aspiring passionate writer.

Member, UE Communication Arts Society

Member, Metropolitan Alliance of Communication Students

Follow Alen on Facebook & Instagram.

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Trending Sunday

Still fresh from Christmas and now transitioned from 2015 to 2016 without stop, here’s the list of trending news stories of the week.

Photo retrieved from fmprc.gov.cn

The Regularly held Press Conference by the foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang  on december 28 was filled with his remarks including his response on the protesters from the philippines that landed on their Island. He commented that they have indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands or better known by the filipinos as spratly island. They urge the Philippine side to withdraw and stop doing anything that undermines regional peace and stability and weighs against the relations between China and the Philippines.

Photo retrieved from Inquirer.net

The supreme court issued two temporary restraining orders on December 28 to cancel Senator Grace Poe’s Certificate of candidacy however Poe’s lawyers filed a petition to prevent the comelec from implementing its decision to completely remove her name on the ballot. The SC decides on Poe’s favor, with her name remaining on the official list of candidates.

Photo retrieved from philstar.com

In Zamboanga,three foreign hostages were spotted; two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipina while the rebels were identified  in an online video as belonging to the Abu Sayyaf who demanded more than $60 million for the release of the three foreigners but it ended tragically with eight members of the group killed along with an Army Ranger in the jungles of Patikul also leaving seven militants and four troopers wounded. The Abu Sayyaf has noticeably weakened but they have survived more than a decade of US-backed offensives.

Photo retrieved from worldbank/flikr.com

After all the debate, and the philippine government considered its pros and cons. The Philippines has decided to join the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), making it one of the founding members with 57 more countries.

Photos retrieved from philstar.com

In Sta. Mesa, Ronald Verico was rushed to the Ospital ng Sampaloc after hugging a firecracker called “Goodbye Philippines” at around 12:10 a.m. on January 01. He was reportedly drunk however it is not yet clear why he had hug the firecracker after lighting it.

Like fireworks, those news above contains different colors: good, bad, conflicts, and agreements, some are just sound pollution, some are just too suffocating, some are too pretty to move on from but past is past, we shouldn’t stop the progress and let’s not forget to look back because history is bound to repeat itself.

I am the jolly Sam to my friends, yet the spoiled Alen to my family. K-Pop is the most influential and greatest turning point in my life as it transformed me into a self-proclaimed dancer, bathroom diva, and an aspiring passionate writer.

Member, UE Communication Arts Society

Member, Metropolitan Alliance of Communication Students

Follow Alen on Facebook & Instagram.

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Let us be EQUAL

By Michelle B. Gutierrez

It's true that there is big change in our way of life these days. I can now see the freedom that our heroes fight just for our country. I am referring to gender equality and women empowerment. Gender equality is the sameness of rights for each and everyone of us whether male or female, gay or lesbian, and even bisexual or transgender. We must all be equal. Women empowerment obviously focuses on women. It is the full power that is given for women in any aspect they wish.

There are so many world problems that we should solved. The turmoil in different countries, endless corruption of government officials, poor with no shelters, but they still engaged and giving their attention to gender equality and women empowerment. Back then, there is a rampant discrimination against women. They assumed that women are weak so it is advisable that women should stay at home, serving her husband and children. But in this generation, everything has change. We must treat each other equally so that we can live peacefully.

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ICT’s role in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

By Girlie Anne D. Fernandez

Photo retrieved from google search images

From the moment we are born, we are already associated with some sort of labeling by outfitting male infants in blue and girls in pink. Gender stereotyping continues to exist in the fields of education and training wherein courses that have anything to do with mathematics, the sciences and technologies are associated with male students and courses that are leaned to the specifics of home economics and service trades are associated with female students and when it becomes an economic issue of choice of in cases where parents would have to choose only one of their children to go to school, it is most likely that it would have to be the male, as female children are regarded to be homemakers and house wives in their future.

Gender stereotyping, sexual harassment, and discrimination continue to plague women’s working and training environments, amidst legislated policies on anti-job discrimination and anti-sexual harassment and this is all because women are lack to information of their rights and role to the society – that women aren’t merely subject to men’s desires and aren’t limited to doing household chores

Equality means having equal rights and opportunities without being discriminated or underestimated while empowerment entails acquiring knowledge, fostering self-confidence, expansion of choices, participation in decision making and improving access to and control over resources. These are all integral to the creation of societies in which both men and women, and not just men, can substantively contribute and participate. With the advancement of technology in information and communication, it is no doubt that these technologies can be used as tools through which gender equality and women empowerment can be advanced and promoted.

ICT  have enormous potential for women’s empowerment: providing women with opportunities to find and share information, access educational and health services, generate income, interact, collaborate, network, and have their voices heard. ICT promote interaction of women within the society and open up new channels which allow women to discuss openly issues regarding social, economic, and political status. As women are able to increase their knowledge and connections with others, gain status within their social sphere and increase their earning power, they will eventually have more capacity to contribute in and lead political movements.

Information is noted as a prerequisite for empowerment, while participation drives empowerment by encouraging people to be actively involved in the development process, contribute ideas, take the initiative to articulate needs and problems and assert their autonomy. Access to resources is indeed the key, with knowledge being the most important resource of all. Because a lack of access to technology and technical training, autonomy and adequate infrastructure (often coupled with the high costs of connectivity) prevent many women from fully benefiting from the use of ICT.

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Women Strength by Rochelle malumay

 sources : http://guyanachronicle.com/womens-empowerment-is-a-catalyst-for-every-societys-development-webster-at-cwa-womens-forum/

Before, Women always called weak and worthless. They say that if you’re born a girl then you are born just to serve a man. Women are not counted in the society because they can’t work for themselves. They can’t make things properly just like what boys can.

 Your mother is the one who gives life to you. She raises you properly.   She taught you how to create your own happiness. Mother taught us how to be strong when facing your problems and Ofcourse, Our mother told us that it’s not easy to be a woman.

 Woman should learn how to stand for themselves. Woman should learn to discover their own strengths.  Actually, In our generation, Woman already learned how to be strong and independent. They can stand alone. They can also be a leader. Woman in our society now adays shows and proves that ‘’ what men cal do, woman can also do.’’

As a girl, I learn how to find and create my own happiness without help of other gender. I can handle things just like what others do. And i can also be a leader.  In our society, Woman can manage make their  success in life without any discrimination just like what happen so many years ago.

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Women Empowerment!

by: Emiaj Alech L. Jaime

source: http://enitiate.solutions/women-empowerment-in-digital-media/

According to the website of UN Women “Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.” Now a days, we almost see the improvement of the equality in women towards men and vise versa, and even with the gender equality that LGBT people are included. There are also some principles that developed through a partnership between UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact. These are the following:

1.      Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

2.      Treat all women and men fairly at work—respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination

3.      Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers

4.      Promote education, training and professional development for women

5.      Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women

6.      Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy

7.      Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality

 These principles are made to implement in all aspects like in work. We must know every points of this issue for us to know how it will be done and implemented.

 In today’s generation, we may say that ICT helps a lot in promoting and dissemination information about women empowerment. It help us to know deeper about this topic. We can be also aware in every situation about women empowerment in the other country, on how and what action they did in promoting and implementing this kind of topic. We should promote and implement the women empowerment in every aspects so we could have equality and fairness in this planet.

 Source: http://www.unwomen.org/en/partnerships/businesses-and-foundations/womens-empowerment-principles

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(Photo retrieved from: http://jc-tuman.deviantart.com/art/Women-Empowerment-357110830)

A Woman’s Touch By: Patricia Bianca Castillo

All women deserve to be loved, be taken care of, and to gain respect, to be treated like a Queen. We are born handled carefully by our loving mothers the image of every woman. 

We were able to explore things through their guidance. We were able to see and experience life. Our mothers are the foundation of our learning, who allows us to see the world, who believed that we can be better and who believes that we are the greatest gift to them. “We should always remember that every man’s success there’s a woman behind him…” That every heartache we’ve been through there are mothers, sisters, cousins, girlfriends who also cry for our failures, who rejoice when we are winning, whose undying love is endless.

I believe that every woman has the right to be motivated, to enjoy life to the fullest. I also believe that every woman has theright to become a leader, to manage her life in a way she excels. I believe that every woman is beautiful, and perfectly created. I believe that in this society, women are powerful enough to be successful.

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In Embracing Women and Gender Equality

(Photo from www.dailystar.net)

Through the past decades, women fought difficult battles against the injustice of the repressive society, shaped by oppressive, dominant power structures to serve their prejudices and personal gains. Women fought on the past decades just to lift the heavy chains—their manacles constraining their even rasp breaths—restraining them from the privileges a human, in the first place, innately has. These privileges were ripped off from their hands just because they were born female, because they were just branded female. And so the women from the past fought, and in every sense we know justice served them well.

Women won the war.

Today, women are treated co-equal with men. The unwavering campaign towards equality of all genders brought the context of feminism to our contemporary time, and it helps to combat the still existing discrimination thrown to women and even women-in-heart alike. The war declared victory for women, but the battle hasn’t been reduced to dust; it has only been reduced from its domineering form. Still there are still disputes to settle. The war is long gone but its remnants are yet to be dealt with.

It is a refreshing thought to marvel that the world has gone to the brighter side of the spectrum, not the strayed and frayed way of the past. And it is more invigorating that some technologies today, suited for the modern needs, are paired to strengthen the ideals of gender equality.

United Nations (UN), in particular, have published a handbook on September, 2005, called “Women 2000 and beyond: Gender equality and empowerment of women through ICT,” discussing the women’s right in every aspect of life—health, politics, employment and so forth. It also addressed the digital divide, including “gender divide” in women, in which the world currently faces and proposed ways on how can ICT help to break this phenomenon.

Now the world embraces women equality, and I do hope it extends to the LGBT community as well.

In conclusion, I guess everyone should look at the past and learn from it. History is a great teacher, I affirm. And let’s not forget the efforts poured down to support and uplift gender equality. We must, in every waking moment, respect humanity and the little things that make us humans. As the celebrity feminist and Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, put it into words:"It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals." And I couldn’t agree more to her.

Link to UN handbook:

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/w2000-09.05-ict-e.pdf

Youtube video about Feminism:

About the Author:

I am a daydreaming writer, an aspiring novelist, and an avid reader of fantasy genre. I’m also an unfortunate student withstanding the storm of pummels of education to survive my scholarship. Occasionally, I use my free time hunting unicorns and dragons with my talking sword.

Follow Kenneth on Facebook, Twitter, & Goodreads.

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Fairness for Women Empowerment

By Princess Baltazar February 18, 2016

Photo retrieved from dwarkaexpress.com

As our generation today is now more capable of adapting change and development thus the rising of new media particularly ICT clearly helps us in a various positive ways. This ICT can comprise a set of goods, applications and services that can actually send, process and eventually turned into transform information. It can be seen in various sectors such as in television, radio, software, computer and most commonly in electronic media such as the internet. We can obviously see the advantages present in using ICT as an effective way or form in a fast dissemination of information and it can be used to promote such rights that we have and one of the example of this is the gender equality and women empowerment. Traditional media may be important to some rural areas but we needed this sort of new media to develop and there’s a room for an empowerment. ICT is not just a help to be easily aware and inform but it can also be a room for other technological advancement, development when it comes to information and communication that can be a way to a social and political interactions, business practices and even in education, health and other factors that can help a country. Due to the advancement of technologies there are improvements when it comes to health care system/services, the participation of the people within the society has also been known, and the rise of advocacies. People are now have the right to participate in matters regarding the government and even in his own country through of course with the use of ICT. An individual can write his opinion and with that he’s maximizing his rights and that’s also the role of ICT in empowering woman rights and promote gender equality. But is it just all positive ways? Or there may be problems that can arise in using ICT as a tool for empowering woman?

There are some ways why does ICT is an effective tool in empowering women rights such it approved access to women’s advocacy and the development when it comes to gender perspective. Technologies can have a big factor or impact in women’s access with the use of ICT such as there is an easier access or coverage with information those women who are living in rural areas. The rising of internet radio has also been accessible to every woman in the community. ICT can also provide useful information such as market prices for woman and even in small and micro enterprises. A lot of organizations are helping and working to build the capacity of women to access or use ICT through some of their projects such as providing trainings for ICT-related jobs, using information and communication technology as a training ground for women that can they use in their professions including of come up with a small business. Taking for example here in the Philippines, some of the biggest electronic companies in the Philippines like PLDT, IBM and other non-government organizations that helps women launched a project wherein they will use ICT for all the women entrepreneurs to meet other people, they can be easily informed matters regarding a business and that “Great Women ICT” was actually a helpful way for some that manages a SME or the small medium enterprises for them to improve the business that they have. Having an access to ICT can also enable both men and women to have a stronger voice in their community where they belong, the government and even in their own country and global level. Through with this advantage it is clearly somehow to see that it promotes gender equality. As a woman we now have our voice in speaking out what’s in our mind, we now have a stand in this society and the right to protect ourselves from abuse and inequality. It can also give a particular woman a space and time to be free from face isolation including those who are in a developing countries.

However there may be a lot of advantages present in using information and communication technologies to help empower women there is also a negative counterpart or somehow the rising of other problems because of it. These technologies are socially constructed and have different impacts between men and women. There are times that using a particular technology is just can be access by men and very limited chance for a women.  Through with this matter men are more knowledgeable about this ICT than women especially in the rural areas. With the rising of internet or new media there are some instances that issues about cyber pornography, cyber bullying and other issues or cases involving the use of internet are keep on increasing. Some people used it to abuse their rights to the point that some women are being degrade through the rising of cybersex or pornography. Yes ICT might be a big useful to all of us but we must also addressed some matters that would just cause another problem.

About the Author:

I am an aspiring writer that loves to write short stories, poems, and novel. I’m an introvert but a good listener and a confidant to others. I also love to blog to express my feelings and opinions about life.

Follow Princess on Facebook & Twitter.

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Women, Society, and Culture: Life without Clitoris (When Culture deprives a Woman)

By: Cris Evert Tolentino, February 18, 2016

The world is one big chunk of mass. It’s an enormous place of animals, plants, people, and all other living and non-living entities. The life-carrying planet revolves around different cultures, practices, and norms. People coming from different races with different beliefs and perspectives in life reside in this one big piece of element we call home – the Earth. The Earth is one living witness of how life develops and runs, how people grow, how they are constructed and transformed according to what is the norm and culturally and socially upright – according to what is the culture of a specific geographic area. Culture is defined as the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of a particular country or group, or, the beliefs and attitudes about something that people in a particular group or organization share. In Social Sciences, there is one famous theory called Cultural Relativism. It is the idea that all norms, beliefs, and values are dependent on their cultural set up, and should be treated as such. But what if one story debunks that the theory of Cultural Relativism is not relative at all? When does culture become an excuse and defense for the abuse of Human Rights?

Photo retrieved from TED.com

“Today I’m going to share my personal journey with Female Genital Mutilation, FGM. Feel free to cry, laugh, cross your legs, or do anything your body feels like doing. I’m not going to name the things your body does.” women’s right advocate Khadija Gbla quirkily opened her Talk on TED on January 2015 about how culture changed her life at a very young age, forever. Khadija was born in Sierra Leone in West Africa. Her Grandfather had three wives. “Don’t ask me why a man needs more than one wife. Men, do you need more than one wife? I don’t think so.” Khadija humorously asked the men audience. In 1991, a war broke out in Sierra Leone and Khadija was three years old that time. It all happened quickly. Khadija reminisced the tragic war saying that she went to sleep one night and everything was good but the next day as she woke up bombs were dropping and exploding from everywhere and people were trying to kill her and her family. “We escaped the war and ended up in Gambia in West Africa.” Khadija said, making the story brief. As survivors of the war, they didn’t know what tomorrow could bring and how long could safety be with them. Her Mother, as a wonderful and smart woman according to Khadija, applied for refugee status and, fortunately, Australia took them in. “Good job, Aussies!” Khadija cracked. But before they went on to travel, Khadija’s Mother brought her daughter to a little holiday trip.  Khadija was still young that time and had no idea what was going on or where they were going. After driving for hours, they ended up in a bush with two huts in a remote area in Gambia. An ethnic-looking woman came to them and talked to her Mother. Confused, Khadija had really no idea what’s going to happen next. Her Mother took her inside one of the huts and started to take off her clothes and pinned her down on the floor. The old lady came to her with a rusty-looking knife. “I thought she was going to slaughter me. But she didn’t.” Khadija expressed. “She slowly slide down my body and ended up where my vagina is. She took hold of what I now know to be my clitoris. She took that rusty knife and started cutting away inch by inch. I screamed. I cried and asked my Mom to get off me so this pain would stop. But all she did was say, be quiet. This old lady sawed away at my flesh for what felt like forever. And then when she was done, she threw that piece of flesh across the floor as if it was the most disgusting thing she’s ever touched. They both got off me and left me there bleeding, crying, and confused as to what just happened. We never talked about this again.” Khadija slowly and painfully added. This event marked the drastic change in her life. Growing up, Khadija eventually learned about what surrounds her – society and culture. She started asking questions and finding answers to it. She went on with her life trying to pick up the pieces of the puzzle of her traumatic past.

Living in a multicultural society, it is normal to encounter and experience a wide horizon of different cultures and practices. Some people adapt to it while others do not and, instead, take hold of their own with the conviction that it is correct and should always be practiced. As age comes, people embrace their culture. People live up to the norms and to the socially constructed rules and regulations. They put it into practice because that is their culture and as what the theory of Cultural Relativism proposes, no culture is right or wrong, simply, cultures are relative. But like the life of Khadija, culture has painfully changed her life forever. Culture was trying to protect her but all it inflicted to her was devastation and harm as a woman. This event brings up the great irony of the theory – that Cultural Relativism is not a relativistic theory at all. Khadija’s life experience with FGM is a manifestation and proof that culture is not always right, that culture could hurt people and take something away from them; something important, something special. The culture and practice of FGM in Khadija’s society is supposed to bring empowerment and protection to women, but all it does is deprive women of their rights. Culture sometimes becomes an excuse and defense for Human Rights violation, and it must not be. Society is ever-changing and ever-evolving. It transforms in a fast pace. Some practices are replaced by new ones and are no longer applicable to the present time. If not having a clitoris was the norm during Khadija’s Mother, then it is not in Khadija’s time. Khadija lives in clitoris-centric society. Women have the right to their body parts, to enjoy its optimum potential and what it has to offer. In Khadija’s case and other similar issues, the culture of FGM has violated their rights as humans and as women. Culture also gives a strange meaning for empowerment of women. How could culture empower women when it intends to take something away from them? Khadija’s story is surely an eye-opener for the people and for the society. Her struggles in her past and while growing up pushed her to work harder in order to seek answers to her questions. Khadija is now the director of the organization named No FGM Australia. Channeling her pain all together to be worth something, she advocates for the empowerment of women and children and for the end of the issue of FGM.

To know more about Khadija Gbla’s life-changing and painful yet empowering and inspiring journey, watch this video of her Talk on TED where she candidly and funnily narrates and describes her experiences from the excruciating agony of Female Genital Mutilation or FGM to the life-strengthening story of her advocacy to stop abuse against children and women:

QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM THE VIDEO:

“It affects every area of your life. And this happened to me because I was born a girl in the wrong place.”

“I channeled all that anger, all that pain into advocacy coz’ I needed my pain to be worth something.”

“FGM is child abuse. It’s violence against women. It’s saying don’t have a right to sexual pleasure. It says we don’t have a right to our bodies. Well, I say no to that.”

“Culture should not be a defense for child abuse.”

“I want every single one of you to see FGM as an issue for you. Make it personal. It could be your daughter, your sister, your cousin. I can’t fight FGM alone. I could try, but I can’t.”

“Every child has a right to pleasure. Every child has right to their bodies being left intact. And dammit, every child has a right to a clitoris.”

“My favorite quote is, ‘All it takes for evil to prevail is for a few good men and women to do nothing.’”

About the Author:

I’m a Communication major. Sporadically, I work as a host and singer. I enjoy talking, a lot. Deep conversations highly interest me. When I speak and write, I don’t just want to touch hearts and minds but I want to inspire and captivate souls. I also love to delight myself in the world of Sociology.

Follow Cris Evert on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

[eruditewordsmith-blog]

Rainbow-colored Culture: Living the Deepest Truth

By: Cris Evert Tolentino, February 18, 2016

People are born with physical and biological assignments. Growing up, people identify themselves as someone base on these assignments. One who is born with a male genitalia is a boy and, on the other hand, one with a female genitalia is a girl. Everything, including roles and positions in society, is in accordance of these assignments. But there comes a point in life in which these assignments confine people from being who they really are; sometimes, assignments do not match the inner truth.

Photo retrieved from TED.com

“The world makes you something that you’re not but you know inside what you are and that question burns in your heart: How will you become that?” Fashion Model Geena Rocero opened her Talk on TED on March 2014 about having the courage to break free and come out of the box where family, religion, society, moment in history, and even bodies placed people.  She also mentioned that gender has always been considered a fact but it is actually more fluid, complex, and mysterious. Geena was assigned boy at birth based on the appearance of her genitalia. But at an early age, she already knew how to self-identify and that she really is a girl. Growing up, she met and encountered different people including the woman named T.L, a transgender beauty pageant manager. And, that was the start of Geena’s life-changing experience. She was introduced to the world of beauty pageants. Joining a wide range of pageant in the Philippines, Geena began to live her dreams. In 2001, her Mother called her to tell her that her green card petition came through and could now move to United States but she resisted it because she’s having fun with her friends and enjoys being a beauty pageant queen. But two weeks later her Mother informed her that if she moves to United States she could change her name and gender marker. “That was all I needed to hear.”, said Geena. At the age of 19, she had her surgery in Thailand and she was accompanied by her Mother. Geena moved to San Francisco in 2001. “And I remember looking at my California driver’s license with the name Geena and gender marker F. That was a powerful moment. I mean, for some people their I.D is their license to drive or even to get a drink. But for me, that was my license to live, to feel dignified.”, said Geena while continuing with her Talk. But Geena is aware that many are not fortunate, that many lives have ended because of pain and hatred, thus, the November 20th global vigil for Transgender Day of Remembrance to commemorate the people who died in pain and hatred and the people who fought for injustice. Geena wants to help people to live their truth without shame and terror and is hopeful that one day there will be no longer a need for a November 20th vigil. She concluded her Talk with a very powerful statement and question, “My deepest truth allowed me to accept who I am. Will you?”

We exist in a society that we can never please. If we act according to what we want and according to what and who we really are, other people might think and say that we deviate from what and who we really are but in fact we are just living out our inner selves and our inner truth. We live in a society where judgments and terrors do not end. Whatever we do, whether good or bad, people have always something to say. Living out our deepest truths might not be favorable for someone else but the best thing that we can do for ourselves is to be proud of what and who we are.

“Gender identity is in the core of our being, right? I mean, we’re all assigned gender at birth, so what I’m trying to do is to have this conversation that sometimes that gender assignment doesn’t match, and there should be a space that would allow people to self-identify and that’s a conversation that we should have with parents, with colleagues.” – Geena Rocero

NOTE:

This article was originally published in Warrior Bites, a newspaper project in ACA 314 – Journalism Principles and Practices as part of the Final requirement. The writer of this blog post is also the Editor-in-Chief of the said publication during its creation in A.Y 2015 – 2016 First Semester.

To know more about Geena Rocero’s success as a Fashion Model and advocacy on living the deepest truth, watch this video of her Talk on TED where she inspiringly tells the story of why she must come out:

QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM THE VIDEO: 

“I may be someone unique in this but I am not alone. Not alone at all. So when I became a fashion model, I felt I finally achieved the dream that I’ve always wanted since I was a young child. My outside self finally matched my inner truth, my inner self.” 

“All of us are put in boxes by our family, by our religion, by our society, our moment in history, even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free not to accept the limitations imposed by the color of their skin or by the beliefs by those that surround them. Those people are always the threat to the status quo, to what is considered acceptable.”

I’m a Communication major. Sporadically, I work as a host and singer. I enjoy talking, a lot. Deep conversations highly interest me. When I speak and write, I don’t just want to touch hearts and minds but I want to inspire and captivate souls. I also love to delight myself in the world of Sociology.

Follow Cris Evert on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

[eruditewordsmith-blog]

Women. Informed. Empowered.

By: Joyce Santos

Photo retrieved:    wecare.community     

  It is my pleasure to speak about gender equality, men are physically stronger while women are more emotionally aware, we all know that. I acknowledge the differences between the sexes, but who can say that one is better than the other? They balance each other out but  the role of women is becoming crucial day by day and the availability of proper  information at right time and at right place should be ensured  but still a lot of improvement in the development is needed for women. When women finally were able to enter the workforce, they had to prove themselves in a "man's field, often forgoing their feminine qualities, and mimicking male attributes.

           We all knows that  Information and Communication Technology  plays a very important role in the economic and social development of a country especially in gender equality and women empowerment. The new information technologies hold out a unique opportunity for women in the developing countries to speak out, and to be more visible and less isolated.Experience has proved that when women are empowered, the benefits are felt in entire families and communities. It is necessary to promote access to and use of information and communication technologies among women. We must encourage more women, in both developed and developing countries, to make appropriate use of ICT tools and technologies and be good decision makers.

             IT provides different types of opportunities for women. It promises better economic prospects, fuller political participation, communication with the outside world, easy access to information, and an enhanced ability to acquire education and skills and to transcend social restrictions. I think we should have providing mobile phone apps to report safety risks and to get access to services for survivors of gender-based violence to end violence  against women,  advance women’s leadership and participation and enhance women’s economic empowerment. I hope to and can  do much more.

[eruditewordsmith-blog]

Girls Can Make it Happen

by Sarah G. Lagsac

http://blog.whatsupgurgaon.in/movement-towards-empowering-women-lets-be-the-change-gurgaon/

Before, women are only viewed in the society as weak and incapable with limited rights and freedom. In fact, women can also do what men can do. Women can drive a car, can fix a home appliances, can be a boss, can be a manager and a leader. They can do all these things with an outstanding performance.

ICT can be a powerful catalyst for women empowerment and the promotion of gender equality. Women are now provided with training for ICT related jobs to build their capacity. Today, images of women are used as sex symbols on the internet but by increasing women’s access to new technology especially the internet, their ability to combat negative portrayal can be strengthened through the use of ICT.

 There are many aspects of life to empower women:

Economic Empowerment

           There are technologies and networking tools that can be used to make women connected to new and wider markets, broaden their social network and provide information that opens important economic opportunities for creating business and employment for women to be the owner of their business.

http://jamsessiontopics.blogspot.com/2014/08/women-empowerment.html

Socio- Economic Empowerment

           These includes health and education. In terms of health, there is a little attention given to address women’s health concerns. Sexual and reproductive rights are one of the issues. ICT is used to combat HIV/ AIDS. Women are at greater risk of HIV infection, but thanks to ICT which provides health information and innovation to cure diseases. In terms of education, there are many strategies made on educating women in poor communities and teaching them computer literacy have that demonstrates the value of ICT.

 Political Empowerment

           New technologies help in political participation and advocacy. Women’s media and communications networks are taking full advantage of new technologies to amplify the voices of marginalized women. Through ICT, alternative media organizations and NGO’s were able to cover issues that were not given much attention by the mainstream media. E- governance is also one of ICT’s product that is significant for public participation in women empowerment and gender equality.

 Violence Against Women

                                         credits to sevavotes

  http://www.sevavotes.org/social-justice/womens-empowerment/

  According to World Health Organization, Violence Against Women (VAW) is an intimate partner violence and sexual violence which is a major public health problems and violation of women’s human rights. For ICT to be an effective tool for advocacy on violence against women, the needs and realities of women must be identified and addressed.

 We cannot limit the capacity of women to make decision, to participate in decision- making, to improve governance and overcome isolation by hearing their voice. ICT, has done a lot of things to empower women. With these, girls can make it happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rs24NPbmdI

[eruditewordsmith-blog]

Christmas Craving

By Patricia Castillo, December 21, 2015

Ah, the taste of the traditional Christmas pudding that dates back four thousand years ago from Fair England. A well-known concoction specially made for the Holiday season. Most of the countries adapted to the tradition of serving it on the dinner table when the clock strikes twelve on the 25th of December. Manila Hotel concurs to that tradition. When Yuletide comes, they are ready to serve the best Christmas pudding that will suite and satisfy your craving!

Photo by Patricia Castillo

Made with different berries and plums, drunk in rum and brandy for a week, Manila Hotel makes sure it's made in advance starting in the mid-month of August. The wait is worth it, with its perfect blend of bittersweet and sour taste, not to mention the taste of the succulent varieties of berries and plums, the Christmas pudding never fails to brag its crowning glory as one of the most well-known dessert to be served during the season.

Photo by Patricia Castillo

One of the people who makes it happen is Chef Jessica Lorraine Aquinpassion, graduated at Siena College with a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and later on finished her Culinary education at Global Academy. She was awarded bronze in several international competitions and is currently working at Manila Hotel. The 22-year-old Chef's passion for cooking is from the people. "I am motivated when they are happy with what they get from our service.", she says. "I perceive my passion through other's appreciation for food.", she adds.

About the Author:

I’m a freelance blogger and an animal advocate/volunteer for PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) and PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). A frustrated Investigator, Astronomer, and Historian, Seeking for unknown and mysterious cases waiting to be solved and answered with full proof. Also a member of Candy’s Council of Cool Ipromote women’s self awareness.

Follow Patricia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Wordpress.

[eruditewordsmith-blog]

Long Distance Relationship: Surviving and Trusting a Love from Apart

By Cris Evert Tolentino, December 21, 2015

One cold Monday night, the rain is heavily pouring, the wind is so strong as if it whistles right through your ear, you’re in your bed feeling its comfort, the soft escape of your pillows and sheet brings you tranquility, yet you are awake. You’re looking out for the moon as the dark night sky devours everything in sight. You long for someone. You long for the one you love. You long for warm hugs and kisses to get you through the night. You think of the person you love and miss him. Eager to fill the void, you boot your laptop to send him a message or you get your phone to give him a call. Trying every possible way to bring closer the person you love, you spend the night together as if you are facing each other and feeling each other’s every heartbeat. You fall asleep together and prepare for another day of school and work. Both of you wait for tomorrow to continue life, and to continue a love from apart.

Photo retrieved from relationshipsreality.com

People and their different relationships can be one of the many sources of inspiration to get through life. It can be a source of unique love, affection, and attention. Relationships with family, relatives, friends, and romantic partner may make life difficult sometimes but sure it makes life more worth living. They fill emotional needs and give the feeling of being loved, being cared about, and being appreciated. It’s fairly easy for both parties to fill the gaps inside the heart when they’re near. But what if they come from miles away? What about a love separated by distance? Whether it’s a family member, a relative, a friend, or a boyfriend or girlfriend, long distance relationships can be extremely challenging and require a lot of time and management to keep it alive. One relationship can be very different from another relationship although same issues can still occur. As a natural process, relationships can go up from one stage to another or even go down from one level to another, and both are equally exciting and devastating at the same time.

Santa Clara University Wellness Center in United States identified seven “Survival Tips” for Long Distance Relationships:

Photo retrieved from scu.edu

1. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.

According to SCU Wellness Center, it is important for both parties to be able to feel that if they need to talk or write to the other person, communication will be welcomed and met with active communication from the other. The quality of the relationship is more likely to increase if both people develop the ability to share feelings openly with each other.

2. COMMITMENT TO THE RELATIONSHIP BY BOTH PARTIES.

What kind of commitment, and how serious or light it is, will be different for different couples. Being so far apart can be a scary and risky endeavor for most couples as for SCU Wellness Center.

3. A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS AND THE PRESENCE OF A SOLID AND SECURE TRUST BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLE.

SCU Wellness Center clears and verifies that this doesn't mean that each person needs to skydive from a plane, but rather, that each will trust that the other person's social life in his or her own town will not be a threat to the relationship. Trust is so important that if it isn't strong, you can make a conscious effort to work on it, both on your own and together.

4. INDEPENDENCE FOR EACH PERSON WITH A HEALTHY LEVEL OF DEPENDENCE UPON EACH OTHER.

When these are present, SCU Wellness Center says that there is a balance of power in the relationship between both people, and each person can be autonomous but still get emotional needs met by the other person.

5. A MUTUAL RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER.

Although there is no further explanation for this by SCU Wellness Center, this is about never losing respect for each other no matter how close you are as a family, as relatives, as friends, or as partners. What contributes to the foundation of relationships and what makes it strong and long-lasting is knowing when to draw and to cross the line.

6. CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ON THE PART OF BOTH PEOPLE.

SCU Wellness Center says that it is so very important that you figure out your own personal expectations of the other person and the relationship, and then discuss them with the other person so that both of you are clear and/or can work out differences in expectations. Without this, each person is working on a very different relationship than the other, and problems are likely to develop.

7. MAKE TIME TOGETHER A QUALITY TIME.

SCU Wellness Center suggests to build in some alone time during visits. Do things that draw the two of you closer, rather than emphasize the distance between you.

TRUSTING FROM MILES APART

Photo retrieved from orig10.deviantart.net

Different relationships, particularly long distance relationships, require a certain level of communication, endurance, patience, love, and, above all, trust – lots and lots and lots of trust. Though unquantifiable, trust plays an extremely crucial role in long distance relationships and must be wide and deep not in terms of numbers but in terms of giving it and understanding its concept. Trust might sound really simple but it is actually a big word. A person doesn’t just trust someone in a blink of an eye. It takes time to know a person and to build trust as part of the foundation of the relationship. A person doesn’t just give his heart to someone he does not know. A person doesn’t just give someone a portion of his life to someone without the presence of trust. People from both parties will have to go out or will go out with friends, stay late for work or for school with workmates or classmates, meet different people, or even not be there when you need them or call them because of various commitments and activities. But the solution to this according to Dr. Terri Orbuch, Ph.D, a Relationship Advisor and Therapist, is communication and trust. She suggests talking often about how you feel toward one another, remember to trust each other until there is no reason to, and keep your suspicions out of the relationship.

Photo retrieved from shelovesmagazine.com

Yes, it’s hard. It’s hard for people to remain calm and worry-free especially when they cannot easily go to their loved ones to check on them whether they are doing fine, or staying safe, or actually remaining loyal to the person they love and to the kind of relationship they are engaged with. But that is why there is love, respect, and trust. A person does not easily engage in a particular relationship and arrangement without keeping in mind of the crucial need for having deep understanding and trust. When someone enters a long distance relationship, it takes a lot of energy and effort to keep the love burning and alive. It requires a knowledgeable mind, a loving heart, and a passionate commitment in realizing of what are the needs of a certain arrangement. Respect is also vital and works hand-in-hand with love and trust. If a person has enough respect for the one he loves and for the relationship they have, although issues are part of the relationship, it can be avoided from growing and from getting worse. And in the end, the success of the relationship and the worthiness of the endurance, love, respect, trust, and everything depend on both parties. It is a collaborative effort and work to not just keep the relationship going but to pursue it with love worthy for each other.

Make everything worth it.

To know more about Why Trust Is Worth It, watch this video by Ze Frank which features Alya Titarenko and Gael Ouisse of Cirque du Soleil who sometimes put their lives in someone else’s hands, and try to answer the question given at the end of the video:

QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM THE VIDEO:

“We expend so much energy watching, and calculating, trying to predict, reading signals in people, ready for anything to change suddenly. Preparing to be disappointed. So much energy spent.”

“It allows us to stop thinking. To stop worrying that someone won’t catch us if we fall, to stop constantly scanning for inconsistencies, to stop wondering how people act when they are not in our presence. It allows us to relax a part of our minds so that we can focus on what’s in front of us. And, that’s why it’s such a tragedy when it’s broken.”

“Trust is your relationship to the unknown, what you can’t control. And, you can’t control everything.”

About the Author:

I’m a Communication major. Sporadically, I work as a host and singer. I enjoy talking, a lot. Deep conversations highly interest me. When I speak and write, I don’t just want to touch hearts and minds but I want to inspire and captivate souls. I also love to delight myself in the world of Sociology.

Follow Cris Evert on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.