How to tell if we still need women’s month

MANILA, Philippines - 23 reasons why equality is still a long way ahead.

1. Go to the beach. Wear a bikini. If men throw inappropriate comments your way, we still need women’s month.

2. Decide on what you want to be when you grow up. Google the most famous people in that field. If the search results yield more men than women, we still need women’s month.

3. Turn on the news. Watch for cases of rape. If women still get blamed for what happened to them, we still need women’s month.

4. Ride the train. If you feel unsafe in a crowded carriage full of men, we still need women’s month.

5. Throw a ball. If someone tells you that you throw like a girl, we still need women’s month.

6. Become Kim Kardashian. Post a naked selfie. If you find that other women are turning against you, we still need women’s month.

7.  Get a job. Do it well. If your male co-worker gets paid more than you for doing the same thing, we still need women’s month.

8. Argue passionately about something. Use logical arguments. If someone asks you if you’re on your period, we still need women’s month.

9. Open Snapchat. If you find yourself posting a selfie with the “International Women’s Day” filter, we still need women’s month.

10. Read the Bible. If you find the passage that blames a woman for the hunger of a man, we still need women’s month.

11. Wear pants to a formal occasion. If someone tells you that you would look prettier in a dress, we still need women’s month. 

12. Get pregnant, have a child. If someone tells you that you need to give up your career to stay home to take care of your child, we still need women’s month.

13. Stay home to take care of your child. If someone tells you that you are wasting your life, we still need women’s month.

14. Look at the map of the world. Look for countries where women aren’t allowed to drive. If you find one, we still need women’s month.

15. Date a woman. If someone dismisses your relationship because there isn’t a man involved, we still need women’s month. 

16. Go to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Website. Discover that what your government is fighting for this month is to provide free MRT rides to women  from 7-9 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. Tell yourself that being a woman is a 24-hour job. We still need women’s month. 

17. Go to the same website. Discover that the theme for this year’s women’s month is “Pakanan ni Juana, isama sa agenda!” Get surprised that women still need to fight to be included in our nation’s policies. We still need women’s month. 

18. Achieve something extraordinary. If someone tells you you’ve broken the glass ceiling, we still need women’s month. 

19. Pick a feminist icon. If you picked Emma Watson, we still need women’s month. 

20. Park your car. If a security guard, driver, or a random man tries to help you park your car, we still need women’s month. 

21. Play a sport. If members of your family become concerned that you’re becoming a tomboy, we still need women’s month. 

22.  Find a prince. Tell him: “I can save you just as much as you can save me.” If he disagrees, we still need women’s month.

23. Talk to someone about the gender gap. If someone tells you that “it’s getting better,” tell them that it has been 200,000 years since the human race first emerged. We still need women’s month.