Misogyny and Catholicism in the Philippines

There are times when I think to myself that I am fortunate to be living in the

Philippines, rather than in India where my father is from. While the preservation of

culture in India may be deemed important, there is one unfortunate thing that the

country continues to retain with its culture – misogyny. There, the men are given

significantly greater importance than women that most parents would continuously

attempt to form a child until a boy is born, thus, I could just imagine what my

grandparents have felt when they gave birth to my father. Marriages, usually arranged,

in India are often financed by the brides; and the brides must offer dowry to the men

before an arrangement could even be perfected. The properties of the parents would be

inherited by the oldest son and his family, even when there is a daughter born before

that son. Most women, after marriage, end up being housewives for they are not

allowed to work alongside their husbands as the men should be deemed providers of

their families. Hindu women are also not allowed to attend funeral rites, unless the

family of the deceased permits them to do so. I am glad that all these are just stories

that my father has to tell me and my siblings, and I do not get to experience them first-

hand. Nonetheless, the Philippines has its own story to tell. Patriarchy is also a

prevalent social system in most Filipino families and until today, there are a lot of people

who continuously and unknowingly perpetuate misogyny, including those residing in the

highest seats of authority with their tasteless remarks and inappropriate advances

against women.
 As a woman myself, it is very disheartening to witness this kind of predicament in

the 21st century when people are more vocal and free to their own opinions on matters

such as this, especially in the Philippines which is a predominantly Catholic country.

What’s worse is that most people blame Catholicism as the root cause of misogyny in

the Philippines, referencing on the verse, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands

to your husbands as you do to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). What most people do not

understand is that the rule to submit does not pertain to a woman’s place in society at

large and that the word “submit” should not be regarded as a reflection of inferiority or

lesser worth. The submission pertained in the Bible does not allow the man to be

selfish, domineering or abusive – it is only presumed to be a natural response to loving.

Hence, I believe that the New Testament and the Gospels can empower women

by the proper teachings on what the Bible really says about women – that Christ himself

regarded women’s fundamental equality with men. Moreover, it may also be

empowering to see the Catholic Church in the country live up to the equality of men and

women as a Gospel imperative, manifested by Jesus’ dealings with women, starting

with supporting the Philippine Magna Carta of Women, which is a cornerstone for

gender equality in the country.