Not many know this, but this month is the month that we spend celebrating our femininity and our strengths to the fullest. This is considered to be International Women’s Month. We stand proud that our foremothers fought for suffrage, to enable the modern woman to vote, to work and to live alongside men. We celebrate the diversity of our sex and the responsibilities that we take on as women.
In a very, very traditional culture such as ours, women were regarded as people who stayed home, raised the kids and not say anything about it. We, in social terms, were not exactly forerunners in the women movement. Yet, when we look back, we’ve had powerful leaders that were women in all areas of society. And that trend, fortunately, continues onto today.
We have the new generation of women showing their talents that are more cutting edge than ever before. The Filipina of the 21st century is showing that borders don’t matter, that just because we’re a little archipelago in the South Pacific, we still show up in the New York Fashion Week through the designs of Monique Lhuillier, Lea Salonga making a name for us in the West End, Broadway and Disney Movies, and to show national pride through a girl’s Student essay in the United Kingdom. We are of course, descendants of the feared Gabriela Silang of the north, from our revolutionary days against the Spanish. We couldn’t be anything less than warrior-like though still holding our “pay pays” in front of our very ‘demure’ faces.
We are everywhere and in everything, and this does not necessarily mean only the domestic helpers, though this too is a big impact on the rest of the world. We are referring to the working woman, the mother and career oriented woman who fends for herself. Though our traditions in the Philippines are centered around a very patriarchical society, it seems that the Filipino woman of the 21st century is now catching up with the rest of the world. She is spending her own money, she is heading her own businesses, she is making a name for herself in her respective profession, all the while, still trying to practice most of the traditions instilled by parents, society and the church.
Because of this, there is now a need for women to assert their independence by doing what she wants while knowing herself. That is why some of the Femme card’s advantages are purely directed to the female of the species for indulging and pampering herself and helping her. For example, Femme Visa Cardholders are automatically enrolled to JobsDB.com’s alert service, which gives Femme Visa cardholders priority access to job opportunities advertised in JobsDB.com. E-mail address and job occupation must be indicated in the Femme Careers form inserted in the Femme Visa application form. Another perk is the free quarterly talks exclusive to Femme Visa Cardholders covering various concerns of career women from smart financial management to career strategies to fashion and beauty. These talks are done in coordination with ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc. Schedule and invites will be posted in the newsletter and leading women’s magazines.
Now, it’s not all about work, there is also the one (1) quarter free subscription of Mega Magazines when you use your Femme Visa Card for the first time! So let Femme Visa help you celebrate your “womanity” this very special month!
|
