I’ve just finished watching Women of Impact Changing the World on NatGeo.
The show opened with how women influenced other women. How one woman’s bold decision to go where no woman has gone before allowed other women to see themselves in these worlds and be empowered to also go boldy.
There was a bit about Dr. Sylvia Earle and how she was treated when she first started with her work with the ocean. Some of the comments made about her and the team of women she led were incredibly sexist. Just – appalling. She even had a project that she that she’d been a part of as a scientist but how she, as the woman in the team, was told to be the one to cook and do the dishes. Again, appalling.
‘Karencitta should watch this’, I said to The Love. ‘If those women quit, we would not be where we are now’.
‘Imagine if Cattski quit’, The Love said and I started to tear up.
Coz then I thought, ‘If Cattski had quit… If there was no Cattski to help mentor and guide Cebu music that we know now… There wouldn’t be as many empowered local artists… There would be no Lourdes… There would be no Mary Anchit…’
The thing is, if you want to fight the system – most especially if you’re a woman – the solution is never quitting. The way to do it is to fight smartly.
Prepare for your fight – educate yourself. Why is the system like this? How does the system function? How can we make it work to our advantage? What other options and platforms are available for us?
Educate yourself to a point where you can outsmart the system.
Do the work. Do good – great – work.
Do work that is so good that the system cannot deny your contributions. That the system starts to make room for your contributions coz only you and you alone can contribute what you can contribute.
Let this serve as an open letter to all the women who choose to go boldly where no woman has ever gone before. Those who choose to keep the fight no matter how tough things get and no matter how, at times, things seem hopeless. Those who choose to keep going day in and day out doing great work.
You are seen. You are heard. You are valued. You are documented and will be written and will never be erased from history because of your unyielding passion.
From this woman and from all those whose lives you inspire and empower through your tenacity and dedication – THANK YOU.
From This Suok 