Hormones

Kris Aquino was airing her disgust and dismay over Korina Sanchez’s feature of her former husband talking about Kris and James’ child Bimby. The sister of the former president said: The feature that the wife of Mar Roxas came out with today is a slap to my face. Yes. I am talking this personally because I put my and my children’s future on the line without expecting anything in return. And the apparent payback for me and the children is a feature on the deadbeat father. The Queen of All Media then lashed out those who accused her with overreacting. She then reason: I am a mother, I need to protect and find what is good with my children. She even said that Korina could not empathize with her since the former is not a mother.

In another scenario, there was a time when a heated discussion erupted when all of a sudden, the other side burst out: You do not understand! I am a woman and you are not! Women must be understood since we have hormones! The discussion ended since the main theme was muddled with concepts and stands being misused.

Commission on Population defines Gender and Development (GAD) to the development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in developmental choices and contends that women are active agents of development, not just passive recipients of development.

The policies and laws recognizing the participation and contribution of women as equals are not anti-male. It must also be understood by women that these are  mandates that could be abused or misused by them. For reasons of making these laws and concepts as an excuse of lashing out to males and justifying shortcomings to female hormones is not acceptable. When a mistake is committed, hormones could never be an excuse. And motherhood could never be a valid reason for being rude and “unbecoming”. Being a mother is not reason enough to lash out hurting comments online. Why not do heated and mature confrontations in person?

Of course, we need to understand the physiological changes and activities on women. But we also have to do the same with men. What about fatherhood? When a relationship would go adrift, could we point directly to the men as the culprit? There are lots of relationship astray being caused by women as well!

The thesis and dissertation of this writer are focused on women and children’s rights since it is really true that gender inequality and child abuse are rampant in our society. But it was also discovered that there are women and children who abuse these mandates to the point that crime and injustice are being committed since there are laws protecting them. In fact, legislators are now fine-tuning the laws for them to be of equal benefits to both gender and humanity in general.

There are two sides of the coin. And it is always true that it takes two to tango. Maturity comes when the person evaluates his or her side first on a certain event and consider the other side as well. Selfishness will always be a main reason of division.

Korina could have just acted as a journalist. She could have thought about the side of James Yap as the father of Bimby. Her intentions might not be malicious but done for the sake of being a broadcast journalist where every side must be considered. She could have asked Kris to air the feature…but what for?

Friendships and other relationships are bound with respect and understanding. We could never be a good and better person unless we open our minds to the things around. We could deny ourselves but not forget our rights. By being true to what and who we are, we might be freed from the chains of selfishness and looking for justifications on our mistakes and even misfortunes. We are equal. We are humans with being. Our gender is not an excuse nor a reason for not being able to love.