We Bleed Red

[DEFINITELY NOT A SPONSORED AD]

Just a friendly reminder to kindly include sanitary napkins and menstruation soaps (feminine wash) in hygiene kits if any of you are planning to donate to any calamity/disaster victims 🩸

Most of the time napkins and menstruation soaps are overlooked when donating "hygiene kits".

Let us all remember that half of the population menstruates and they need these products when they have been victimized by calamities and disaster events.

Love,

#WeBleedRed

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Which of the two photos depict the truth? Do menstruators bleed red or blue? Why do sanitary napkin commercials use blue liquid instead of red to represent period blood?

These are just some of the questions we need to ask ourselves. Why do people find period blood so offensive that media companies (especially ad agencies), consistently, for years, use blue blood to represent the true nature of a menstruator's body?

In relation to my previous post (re: FREE BLEEDING), you may have started wondering what alternatives menstruators use when they are on their period. Well, let me tell you one thing: they don't have much option.

Menstruators who can't afford or don't have access to sanitary products opt to use the following alternatives: Eto na muna ang gamit nila.

FREE BLEEDING.

Free bleeding is the practice of "menstruating [in public] without blocking or collecting the period blood".

To put it simply, it means a person menstruates WITHOUT USING napkin, pantyliner, tampon, or menstrual cup.

Some do it as a form of movement to fight period stigma while others do it due to financial problems/instability.

Those without access to period products (those who cannot afford it) have no choice but to free bleed when they are on their period.

Disclaimer: This essay will focus greatly on abortion (and rape). Some readers may be triggered. You may skip this essay as you please.

As we close our semester in UP Diliman, we have been tasked to answer (develop strategies for) sensitive feminist questions/problems using the theories we learned from our Feminist Theories and Movements class.

We were divided into small groups of four and with our collective and individual knowledge and experiences we worked on our assigned cases. Using drawlots, our group was tasked to strategize/brainstorm/provide a solution for a topic that remains to be a taboo and illegal in our country: abortion.

I understand that as you go about reading this you may or may not approve on our answer. I will understand that. I would also like to point out that the scenarios provided are fictitious and not at all real. However, as students and as feminist, we answered these questions thinking they are, in fact, real people in real situations in the hopes to "treat" it with more urgency, care, and respect.

As I explain how it went for our team, and to make it more precise, I will re-type the instructions and sets of questions given to us.

Here it goes:

5 Scenarios: Exercise used at the CAT4SRHR (Capacity Assesment Tool for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights) Workshop developed by Oxfam

Instructions:

Each ofthe following women has asked for an abortion. According to your (fictitious) country's policy, there can only be one safe, legal abortion performed. As a policymaker, you must choose which woman will be able to receive a safe, legal abortion. You can only choose one candidate. Reflect on each of these scenarious and your rationale for choosing the one candidate (and not choosing the others). Be ready to present your decision to the bigger group.

1. A 17-year old woman in her first year at the university just found out that she is 8-weeks pregnant. Denied contraception by her health-care provider because she is unmarried and because of her young age, she and her boyfriend tried to use natural birth control methods, however their attempts failed. She does not feel financially or emotionally ready to become a mother, and wants to finish her studies. She is the first person from her poor, rural village to attend university.

2. A 15-year olf girl is 12 weeks pregnant as a result of rape by her stepfather. When she told her mother about the rape and pregnancy, her mother, who is also abused by her husband, quietly looked for someone to support them in this situation, but was unable to find anyone who could help or provide a safer place for her daughter to stay. Her daughter continuos to attend public school, where she has been a top student. She is experiencing great distress over the rape and pregnancy, and her schoolwork is suffering.

3. A 30-year old woman, married at 16, already has two children but is pregnant again. Her husbands spends much of his earnings on alcohol and sex workers. She is worried about her risk and the baby's risk of HIV. She is already struggling to feed two children, and doesn't know how she will be able to feed a third.

4. A 24-year old woman is engaged to her 27 year old boyfriend of the past three years. They plan to be married, so the unplanned pregnancy initially didn't upset them too much. However, they have learned that her diabetes will likely make her permanently blind if the pregnancy is carried to term.

5. A 12-year old girl is persuaded by a boy in the grade above her, whom she admires, to have sex with him. He does not like condoms and refuses to use one. Her lack of sexuality education leaves her unable to negotiate safe sex. Since she does not have regular periods yet, and has limited knowledge about pregnancy, it takes a long time before she realizes that she is pregnant. Now she is in her second trimester, and she is growing increasingly depressed and scared about her situation.

Difficult, right?

Well, to tell you the truth the team all agreed that each of these women DESERVE to have SAFE and LEGAL ABORTION should they wish to have one. And so, given the circumstances and the instruction to pick only one of these candidates has been proven difficult for us all.

But I'll go ahead and tell you our answer. We picked candidate no. 2.

Some of you may agree, some of you may not. But allow me to explain why we picked candidate no. 2, and believe me, it was a difficult choice to make. Also, you have to take into consideration that we are working with little knowledge and background on each of these fictitious women. We are basing our answer on the provided information which is composed of only 2-3 sentences (1 paragraph). Very limited knowledge.

Here's why:

1. All other candidates had consensual sex (it's a different case for candidate no. 5, and I will explain that later). Candidate no. 1, although legally minor, had consensual sex with her boyfriend and it was unfortunate that they were both denied contraception by their health-care provider and proceeded with natural birth control methods. Candidate no. 3, is married with two kids, and had consensual sex with her husband. Unfortunately, both of them proceeded to have unprotected sex (resulting to her third pregnancy) even when the husband has a history with sex workers (and may or may not have contracted HIV). Candidated no. 4 had consensual sex with her fiance. However, her pregnancy may result to blindness, due to her diabetes, if she decides to carry her term.

Now, for candidate no 5. and this is where it gets tricky. Our team and I believe that the 12-year old candidate is JUST AS DESERVING as candidate no. 2. She's freaking 12!!!! She's too young to be carrying a baby!! However, if we had to weigh it between candidate no. 2 and candidate no. 5, we believe that candidate no. 2 needs the abortion more. Now, candidate no. 5 was persuaded to have sex with a boy that she admires, this is where the "consent" gets tricky. She was persuaded by a boy he admires--which leaves us (my team and I) to assume that she may have hesitations about it but since she likes the boy she went on and had sex with him.

Which leaves us to candidate no. 2. She was raped. She. Was. Raped. By her stepfather. Not to mention, her mom is also abused by her stepfather. She did not have consensual sex. She was caught off guard. She was attacked. She was degraded. SHE WAS RAPED. She didn't want any of this to happen--not even to her mom. She didn't deserve what happened to her and if she wants to have an abortion--then she should.

2. Financial stability. It's unfortunate that most of our candidates have financial problems. But that's the reality of it. My team and I tried working our way around it by thinking of possible solutions/scenarios for each of these women's financial problems. Candidate no. 1 came from a poor, rural village and she is the first to attend the university. I have no doubt in my mind that she is a smart woman and can apply for financial aid (or scholarship) either from her school or from her municipality until she graduates. Her parents/family can care for her child until she starts earning. Candidate no. 3, is a 30 year old woman. She admitted that she is struggling to feed two children and can't afford a third one. Given her husband's history with alcohol and sex workers, the wife can negotiate with the husband to give up alcohol and the sex workers so that they can afford to feed their third child, now, obviously that won't be easy to do. My team and I are also assuming that the husband may be mentally/emotionally unstable, hence the alcohol and sex workers, but if this doesn't work--the wife, who is 30 years old, has the capacity to work. Candidate no. 4 seems financially stable. Plus, she has been engaged with her boyfriend for three years now which leaves us to assume that they are already saving up for their future family. Candidate no. 5, has no mention or whatsoever about her financial stabilty. Which leaves us to assume that she may come from a well-off family. As young as her age, we are assuming that her family can take care of her child while she finishes her school. Candidate no. 2, raped by her stepfather, attends public school. Which leaves us, again, to assume that she also, like almost the rest of the candidates, is not financially ready to become a mother. This strengthens our decision to pick candidate no. 2 to have the safe and legal abortion.

3. A case of word play. Again, my team and I are working with whatever little knowledge we have. And with little information about each of these fictitious women, it has become a case of word play. Again, and I cannot emphasize enough, my team and I believe that all of these women deserve to have safe and legal abortion. Their body, their right. However, we are tasked to pick only one candidate, based on their situation, to have the safe and legal abortion. Candidate no. 1, still has a future ahead of her. One unwanted pregnancy can't stop her from achieving her potential. It may take longer for her to achieve her dreams given that she is no longer just thinking about herself but also her baby, she may have setbacks--but she will get there. In candidate no. 3 situation, it said "She is worried about her risk and the baby's risk of HIV." RISK. Meaning, it is not yet verified whether or not she (or her baby) has contracted the HIV. And since this has become a case of word play, we may assume that she may not be able to contract the sickness at all. Same goes for candidate no. 4, it said that her diabetes she "will likely make her permanently blind if the pregnancy is carried to term" WILL LIKELY. So, we have to take that 50/50 percent chance that she MAY NOT get blind if she decides to push through with her pregnancy.

4. Moral/Immoral. Now this is on a more personal note. The fact that candidate no. 2 was raped by stepfather--was for me, enough to send her to the clinic to get that abortion. She deserves to have that abortion. She was raped. SHE WAS RAPED. She was attacked, degraded, insulted, direspected--she was raped. She didn't deserve that. Now, I may get a few sad reactions here and there, but this won't change my mind.

Conclusion:

This task of picking one candidate truly has been exhausting for us. But my team and I firmly believe that we made the right decision. We hope that we never have to face a future where we only have to pick one candidate for any women who DESERVES to have an abortion.

Now, going back to the title of this reflection:

ABORTION: Do we really get to have a say who deserves to have one or not?

As a feminist, I believe that no one gets to have a say who deserves to have an abortion other than the one who is pregnant. It is her body. It is her say. It is her right. IT'S HER DECISION TO MAKE and NO ONE ELSE'S.

I hope that one day, in this country, women get to have a choice if they want to keep their pregnancy or not. I hope that one day, Filipino women will have access to SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION. I hope that rules and regulations on their bodies won't be anyone's concern other than themselves.

# END #

Last 09 October 2019, I had the honor of being invited to be a part of Plan International Philippines Open Forum, #ReWriteHerStory, wherein media practitioners, journalists, writers, filmmakers, and academicians were invited to discuss, and ultimately brainstorm, the alarming effect of women representation in film and other forms of media to girls and young women particularly its effect on their lives and leadership roles.

“Because usually when we talk about a leader I still come up with a man. I still think about a man. [This idea] It’s really popular… people think that men are more powerful” said a young woman from Vietnam. (Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, July 2019)

As a graduate student majoring in Media Studies Film, I am no stranger to news of women’s misrepresentation in media, or lack thereof. I have seen films, locally and internationally, more than I can possibly count and there are only a handful of films that does not objectify, pornify, and capitalize on women’s bodies or represent them as irrational human beings that function based on their emotions.

Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media partnered with Plan International to conduct a research study on women’s representation and its effect on the minds and lives of girls and young women. This is their most comprehensive study to date taking into account the “attitudes and opinions of over 10,000 girls and young women across the globe.” It also has the “first global analysis of how women’s leadership is portrayed in the top-grossing films [2018] in 20 countries around the world”.

It has been agreed that film continues to be one of the strongest media and global artform that can have huge impact to its viewers and consumers. As a form of art, it has the power to “create reality and influence how we see each other”, film can also “create empathy, it can change perspectives and help us see things from others points of view” not just for women but for all of us—men included.

Here are three key findings that I personally want to highlight from the research during our discussion:

1. Male characters outnumber female characters by 67% and male characters speak twice as much as female characters

Their research show that male characters dominate the storylines and women leaders, if and when they do exist in the plot, may be portrayed as “intelligent, likeable, and effective” but they are often sexualized and objectified. It is as if a woman’s worth won’t be enough based solely on her intellect, competency, and rationality. She also has to be beautiful and sexy in order to be noticed, validated, and equal to their men counterpart.

Male leaders in films are much more visible compared to women and they are shown more effective compared to their female counterpart. Female leaders are far more likely to be shown wearing revealing clothes and are more likely to be shown as partially nude than male leaders. They [female leaders] are more likely to be sexually objectified than male leaders.

Also, it is worth noting that the overall make-up of the characters in the 2018 top-grossing films analyzed reflect the film producers rather than their audience: they are white, male, and middle-class.

2. Out of the 2018 top grossing films analyzed: none of the films were directed by a woman; only 1 in 4 films had at least one female producer; and only 1 in 10 films had at least one woman on the writing team

As a once-aspiring filmmaker myself, and if I can be completely honest, this finding hurt me the most. I truly believe that one way we can combat the misrepresentations or lack of misrepresentation, and harmful stereotypes in films and other forms of media is by involving MORE women behind the scene. Have more women PRODUCE films about women, have more women WRITE about women, have more women INVOLVED in making films about women. In that way we can combat and challenge patriarchal ideology on portrayal of women in films.

“It’s urgent that we no longer create stories that teach children to view women and girls as second class citizens—not when we’ve seen the level of sexism in our culture so egregiously put on display” Geena Davis, Founder and Chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

3. Percentage of Characters in terms of Ethnicity and Region: 46.6% are white, 14% are southeast asian, 10.7% are latin, 10.6% are black, 7.4% other asian, 1.5% middle eastern.

In their research report, not only are female characters less prominent than male characters, the study also reveals a “lack of ethnic diversity in the heroes, heroines, villains, and secondary characters” in screens.

The lack of diversity is further “compounded when it comes to the sexuality of characters in the top-grossing films of 2018”. According to this research, very few of the characters are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or queer.

“Knowing that young women need to see powerful females and more characters who look like them on the screen is the reason why I will never give up film making.” Ash Mayfair, 34, Filmmaker, Vietnam

Brainstorming Discussion:

During our discussion all the participants, guests and I, included, brainstormed on possible solutions on how we can make women leaders more visible, not just in films, but in any other forms of media. We came up with three main solutions:

To be it, they must see it.

We all agreed that in order to encourage girls and young women to take up leadership roles is by allowing them to see the involvement of more girls and women in media. We have to “make stories about female leadership visible and normal”.

Stop the sexualization and objectification of women and girls on screen.

As practitioners, writers, and overall responsible citizens of the world, we have to make it a norm, that a woman’s worth is not based on her appearance—how she carries herself, the clothes she wears, the color of her skin—but can be based solely on her intellect, leadership, competency, and moral standards. We have to show girls and young women that their validation should not come with the approval and permission of others, particularly men, but themselves.

Fund (and invest on) female filmmakers, program makers, content producers and address harassment and discrimination in the workplace to encourage girls and young women into the entertainment industry at ALL levels.

Women who aspire to create, write, produce, direct, etc. should be given a chance to do so, should they wish. Girls and young women should not be discouraged, at an early age, to stop aspiring to be who they want to be because of the belief that as “second-class citizens” they can be anything but. They should not be afraid to step out of their comfort zones, to aspire to be equal with men, and be allowed to function in a society without limitation.

Theories applied:

On a more personal note, during the discussion and after going through all the reports and readings of feminist theories, I do believe that Plan International Philippines’ Open Forum, #ReWriteHerStory, has one goal that has been reflected on all the theories, and the very root of feminism itself, which is the emancipation of women.

Liberal feminism aims to emancipate women from legal and state restrictions. Marxist feminism aims to emancipate women from capitalism particularly labor restrictions. Radical feminism wants to emancipate women from gender restrictions and sexist norms. Socialist feminism aims to emancipate women from capitalism and patriarchal ideology, believes, practices, and social construct. Ecofeminsm wants to emancipate women and nature from patriarchal subjection. Third World feminism aims to emancipate third world women from false-feminism of the first world women.

Emancipation. If we continue to misrepresent women where they are bounded and subjected by patriarchal laws, beliefs, and practices; where they are restricted and limited; where they are boxed and stereotyped, and where they are dominated by men, this will only keep going and will result to stronger patriarchal ideologies.

I feel that some of you may want to know who is behind this “blog”, and I figured that the best way everyone can get to know me is by reading this personal essay I submitted for my Feminist Theories and Movements class in UP Diliman under the College of Social Work and Community Development--Women and Development Program.

Here goes:

My journey to self-discovery is rooted to feminism. 

 Way back when the word wasn’t even making headlines. Back when I didn’t even know there was a word for what I was becoming.

It started out with two important questions: 1) Will people never stop dictating what I can or cannot do for myself? and 2) Will decisions be made for me when I can make it myself?

Growing up, I used to think that freedom is a reward given to you when you: listen, behave, cooperate, and follow—which is ironic given that, well, it should be free. I grew up in a very patriarchal environment (both household and society), although before we didn’t know what patriarchy was or that it even actually existed. What I grew up knowing was already considered normal and natural. Patriarchy was “the way, the truth, and the life.” Pun intended.

I cannot exactly pinpoint when and where patriarchy began in our household. I was young and naive, all I did was behave, play by the rules, and follow the values being passed onto me without a second thought and without asking questions. Because then, asking questions meant you’re being disrespectful. But if anything, I think it started when my father told my mother, right when they got married, that she “need not find work” and to “just raise the kids” because he will “provide for the family”. If I were a damsel in distress I would probably sigh and swoon when a man tells me that I need not worry about anything because he will provide for me, but I am not a damsel in distress.

Let it be known that I do not blame my mother for saying yes and my father for offering her a “way out”. She got married right after college. She was only 21. My father was 26. They were simply a traditional Filipino family (husband = breadwinner; wife = housewife).

Cesar, my father, had nothing growing up. He was a farmer’s boy. He believed in education and fought hell and high water to attain it. And with hard work and determination, he earned his doctoral degree. He wanted to be better—to be able to provide when his parents could not. He did not want us to go through what he went through. That is why I know he meant well when he dictated himself as the provider of the household and Genevieve, my mother, the ultimate carer.

But the dictation did not end there. I have three male siblings which makes me the sole daughter of the Sumalde-Chavez household. And being the only daughter of a patriarchal household has never been an easy thing. Rules come off as either protective or downright oppressive. And in this case, it’s mostly the latter. And when household rules are strengthened and solidified by society’s standard of what is right or wrong, what is acceptable or unacceptable—to challenge it means you’re at the losing end.

When I was younger, my parents—Cesar, especially—have dictated what I can or cannot do. (Again, I know they meant well. I don’t hold anything against them.) I remember my father did not approve of my all too-short hairstyle (borderline boy cut) that Mom had imposed on me when I was very young--but in all honesty, I didn’t mind. And I, being a firm believer of comfort before style, do not cut my hair as a symbol of my sexuality—but a symbol of preference in comfort. He would also rarely let me leave the house for fear of my safety, but he would let my Kuya wander off late at night until 3 in the morning (to be fair, this was when he was still “young” now he really just stays at home or at work). We were only two years apart.

Other than that, I would be scolded for every time I do not “sit like a lady”. And I don’t, because what does “sit like a lady” even mean? Why am I not allowed to sit with my legs apart, to take up space, when all the men in my family would open their legs just as much and just as wide? How are my legs different from theirs? Even with the clothes I wear, sometimes there were rules laid out for me: no shorts, no sleeveless (unless I wear a sarong or a jacket), no spaghetti straps, no this, no that. They didn’t have to say it, but  I knew it was because they were afraid that I might become too “inappropriate” or be disrespected for wearing less.

More than the physical, there are things that I am not allowed to do like talking back or having an opinion. I guess it’s usual for kids to talk back to their parents—both female and male—during an argument but how come girls are heavily punished compared to boys when they do? Why are boys even expected to talk back and girls are expected to shut up and be quiet? Even apologize?

So, growing up stricken with all these “rules” I did what any perfect daughter would do: behave. I didn’t stay out late. I didn’t drink. I didn’t do drugs. I didn’t party. I didn’t “hang out with the wrong people”. And when I did do any of those things, it was rare and guilt would often follow me. (Except for the drugs part. I never did that.) All these for fear of not just disappointing my family but as well as society who is expecting a lot from women like me. In fact, all I did was go to school in the morning, train at night (as student athlete and leader) then go straight home. I played the part up until college was over.

As I said at the beginning of this personal essay, I thought freedom was a reward given to you when you: listen, behave, cooperate, and follow the rules. I did all those and still, the dictation never really stopped, at least not with society. My traditional, conservative parents are gradually becoming progressive as I grew older: lax and open-minded, accepting and trusting. They were slowly realizing that I am becoming a woman of strength and direction (I realized that communication is all we needed). But, overall, the rules (now controlled and imposed by society) are still there: “you’re not allowed to go home late because you’re a girl”; “you're not allowed to drink because you can’t keep up with the boys”; “if you cut your hair short again people might think you’re a tomboy”; and “don’t wear shorts when you go out strangers might disrespect you”.

I realized then, when I finally had enough of these limitations, no matter how insignificant or unimportant they may seem, that the rules that were being imposed on me were made so that the people around me will accept and respect me as a human being. 

And if I “misbehave” I became alienated. 

Disowned. These rules are making me adjust to people and situations, I am basically being unconsciously asked to behave a certain way for people and not the other way around: “don’t cut your hair people will think you're a tomboy”, “don’t wear clothes that are too short or revealing someone might rape you”, “don’t talk too much people will think you’re opinionated” and “if you cry people will think you’re weak”. All of these have led me to a conclusion: freedom is only an illusion when you’re oppressed.

My personal conquest to attaining my so-called freedom made me realize that my problem wasn’t just mine alone. 

It was a problem that majority of the women share together. Young and old. That was when I was slowly becoming aware of myself and my surroundings. I now see, with my own eyes and my own understanding, how unjust and unfair women are being treated at home, at school, at work, and most especially, at the streets. From the length of our hair, the size of our skirts, and the height of our heels, rules are being dictated. Rules that came mostly from the white and the male. It created a culture: a culture where women are less than men. Insignificant and irrational. Subordinate and weak. A second sex.

I understood what I wanted to do. I wanted to fight back. My aim wasn’t to make women better than men but be equal with them. I want the women, the marginalized, and the oppressed, to have the same amount of rights—without the double standards. 

I want women to be recognized equally, to be credited where credit is due, to be seen, and heard. I want our voice to be just as loud as men—important and valid, respected and powerful. I want the decisions made for women are made by women. I want them free from harmful limitations. 

It is a bold and ambitious dream—but a goal nonetheless.

Hence, why I decided to take a Women and Development course/subject. If I wanted to make a change, no matter how small, I had to be educated first. This, I am sure of. And I come in this course admitting that there are things I still do not know about feminism or things I am still unsure of, and I believe that WD 210: Feminist Theories and Movements is the right choice for what I wanted to do.

I want to learn what feminism was before it was even “invented”. I want to learn how feminism became from demanding equal rights to fighting for human rights. I want to know the extent of the influence of the #MeToo movement to our country and how it can raise social awareness most especially to victims of sexual assault in male-dominated industries. I want to challenge the local media representation of women: that women are more than just their bodies—the breast, the curves, the legs, and the nudity—that women’s bodies should not be an instrument and medium of salacious content. I want to challenge the ad industry for misrepresenting period blood because women don’t bleed blue. We bleed red. I want women to walk the streets in daylight and at night time without having to fear for their safety. I want more women leaders in government that can accurately provide solutions for women’s needs. I want to help erase the negative connotation the word “feminism” has: that feminism does not equal to man-hating. That it is not anti-men.  

And above all else, I want to understand the different meanings of feminism and how it differs based on sex, class, race, nationality, and demography. That women of color don’t exactly share the same meaning of feminism to white women. These are the things I want to learn if I want to make a change.

Because to me, feminism means that the women, the marginalized, and the oppressed are allowed to do whatever they want for themselves without having to worry how people would react. I want them to be provided the same amount of privilege and credibility that the white and the male have.

Women have been suffering for centuries and we didn’t even know it.

We stood, we watched, we followed because we thought it was right and normal. For too long, we have endured the pain of being silenced, controlled, dictated, and overpowered. Everyday, more and more women are opening their eyes to the Truth, and the possibility of a future where they can share the same spotlight with men. The fight for our voice to be heard is far from over but with an idea, with an initiative, and with the willingness to learn, to grow, to share and educate we can have a better a better country—a better world—where sex of a human being will not dictate a man or woman’s worth.