One of the stereotypes amongst women is that they are often left with the responsibility of taking care of their children and the household, while the husband goes out to work to earn for his family. However, in this day and age where both parents have to work, this practice is no longer applicable for modern families.
Dr. Karen Remo, CEO and Managing Director of New Perspective Media Group and Publisher of The Filipino Times stated that while hiring household help seems like a viable option, Filipino moms and dads should be set good examples for their children at home.
Here are Dr. Remo’s top three tips to help spark change through simple yet effective ways:
Homemaking is a shared responsibility. Dr. Remo highlighted that whatever the practice was in the past where the man of the house was sitting and watching TV while the mother is loaded with house chores should no longer be the case today. She encouraged parents to teach their kids that homemaking should be done by both men and women.
“We should train boys and girls to learn that homemaking is a shared responsibility. Empower ni nanay and empower ni tatay ang mga bata. Start challenging the norm at home,” advised Dr. Remo during the inaugural Filipino Women and Sustainability Forum spearheadedd by the Filipino Social Club.
Say ‘yes’ to yourself. Women are often very agreeable to their family members – and with that comes the risk of forgetting to take care of themselves. Dr. Remo advised that in order for women to say ‘yes’ to themselves they mustn’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to other people, even if it’s at the risk of being disliked by others.
“We’re afraid to say no, because we are afraid to be disliked. What’s the point of being liked by every one kung wala ka namang na-attain based on your goals? If you don’t believe in yourself, probably no one will. So you have to own it,” said Dr. Remo.
Empower men as well. Dr. Remo hopes that Filipinos can encourage a culture where it’s okay to do both gender roles without men feeling ashamed or isolated from taking care of children as ‘housebands’ or house husbands.
“How do we empower each other? Let’s start from home, start from ourselves, and it starts from empowering both genders,” said Dr. Remo.
The Filipino Social Club conceptualized a platform to encourage women to undergo a positive holistic change through its inaugural Filipino Women and Sustainability Forum held last March 27 at the 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹, 𝗔𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁, 𝗗𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗮 in 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗶.
Nearly a hundred leaders and decision makers attended the afternoon forum, headed by FilSoc President Ericson Reyes and moderated by Mary Joy Castor, HSE Specialist at Dubai Duty Free.
Themed “Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow”, the afternoon session jives in line with the monthly celebration of the International Women’s Day 2022 this March.
