By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

What do a mother, an aunt, and a grandmother have in common?

All of them are among some of the notable women who helped shape everyone’s formative years—with their love, passion, and uncompromising care carrying us through various stages of life—from infancy to adulthood.

A woman’s heart is truly a microcosm of genuine characteristics that keep us grounded in humility yet aspirational in foresight, touching at the very core of what makes us human.

After all, women are the ones who conceive and nourish life, carrying infants within their wombs for nine months before giving birth to young boys and girls, who first see the light and colors of this wonderful world through the lens of the first woman in their lives—their dear mothers.

Their power lies in the ability to perform similar roles and hold their ground in the same playing field that for decades has been largely occupied by men—breadwinners, drivers, athletes, soldiers, and politicians, to name a few.

Their grace and composure may be underestimated by their gendered counterparts, yet their strength and grit shine through it all, with women continuing to challenge the dominance of masculinity by making a name for themselves in areas such as science, medicine, academics, transportation, and sports, among others.

This is especially true here in the Philippines, where despite men continuing to dominate in key industries, women are continuing to push the boundaries of societal expectations to establish themselves as an indispensable part of society.

Some women with lasting legacies

Of course, one cannot forget several notable women who have flipped the script on society’s perception of femininity and womanhood as they forged new paths and took bold risks to defy patriarchal beliefs and be on the same page as men.

Amelia Earhart, for instance, literally took to the skies and served as a pioneer for women to enter the field of aviation by being the first to have a solo transatlantic flight when she flew from Newfoundland, Canada to Ireland on May 20-21, 1932.

Marie Curie, on the other hand, proved that women can also lead in the field of science, with her discovery of radioactive elements such as polonium and radium in 1898 earning her two Nobel Prizes—for physics in 1903 and for chemistry in 1911.

Then, Coco Chanel, a fashion designer and the founder of a fashion house that rose from the ashes of both World Wars to become one of the pioneers in luxury goods and apparel, remains a household name to this day.

Notable local figures to be proud of

But one should not forget that there are also notable Filipinas who gave honor to the country and have left a lasting mark on the Southeast Asian nation’s rich and vibrant heritage.

The figure behind the invention of the bamboo incubator in 1941, Fe del Mundo was a pediatrician and humanitarian whose programs on maternal and childhood care set the precedent for future generations of physicians.

Melchora Aquino, commonly known as Tandang Sora, served as a mother figure for the Katipuneros who fought in the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards by nursing those injured in battles at her house in Banlat, Caloocan—earning her the nickname “Mother of the Katipunan.”

In a male-dominated sport such as weight lifting, athlete Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo held her ground (and the hefty 127-kg barbell) during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which earned the Philippines its first Olympic gold medal and also the first for a Filipina in the sport.

Alex Eala rounds off the list as the tennis sensation that continues to capture the attention and win the hearts of millions of Filipinos across the globe—being the first Filipina to capture multiple Grand Slam junior titles.

Truly, female figures bring with them something unique to the table as they challenge the rigid notions imposed upon them by outdated constructs to brandish the flag of womanhood, wherever they may be in this world.

-jpv/avds