Para sa Bawat Babae

Mga Kabaro, kapatid, kaakibat sa pakikibaka sa laban ng buhay, sa my asawa, sa mga lola, sa mga Ina na walang sawang gumagabay at sumusuporta sa mga anak nya at sa lahat ng mga babae sa mundo na kinakailangan bigyan pahalaga.  Happy Women's Day!

PARA SA BAWAT BABAE

Ni NANCY R. SMITH

Para sa bawat babaeng sawa na sa pagkukunwaring mahina siya gayong alam niyang siya’y malakas,

May isang lalaking pagod na sa pag-aastang malakas kahit nanghihina.

Para sa bawat babaeng sawa na sa pagkukunwaring wala siyang alam,

May isang lalaking nabibigatan na dahil palaging inaasahang alam niya ang lahat.

Para sa bawat babaeng sawa na sa taguring “emosyonal at iyakin,”

May  isang lalaking pinagkakaitan ng karapatang lumuha at magpakita ng pagmamahal.

Para sa bawat babaeng nakararamdam ng “pagkatali” sa kanyang mga anak,

May isang lalaking hindi nakakaranas ng lubos na kaligayahan ng pagiging kapwa-magulang.

Para sa bawat babaeng pinagkaitan ng makahulugang trabaho at pantay na pasahod,

May isang lalaking nabibigatan sa pananagutang buhayin ang kanyang pamilya.

Para sa bawat babaeng hindi tinuruan nang pasikot-sikot ng makina at sasakyan,

May isang lalaking hindi natuto sa kasiyahan ng pagluluto.

Para sa bawat babaenghumahakbang patungo sa kanyang sariling pagpapalaya,

May isang lalaking nakatutuklas na napadali ang daan niya tungo sa kalayaan.

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For Every Woman

One of the poems that has stuck to my mind was "For Every Woman" by Nancy Smith.  I came across this poem in one of the Women's Conferences I have attended when I was still working for a Non-Government Organization way back then.  The poem was imprinted in a shirt given to all attendees.  

For Every Woman

By Nancy R. Smith

For every woman who is tired of acting weak when she knows she is strong, there is a man who is tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.

For every woman who is tired of acting dumb, there is a man who is burdened with the constant expectation of "knowing everything."

For every woman who is tired of being called "an emotional female," there is a man who is denied the right to weep and to be gentle.

For every woman who is called unfeminine when she competes, there is a man for whom competition is the only way to prove his masculinity.

For every woman who is tired of being a sex object, there is a man who must worry about his potency.

For every woman who feels "tied down" by her children, there is a man who is denied the full pleasures of shared parenthood.

For every woman who is denied meaningful employment or equal pay, there is a man who must bear full financial responsibility for another human being.

For every woman who was not taught the intricacies of an automobile, there is a man who was not taught the satisfactions of cooking.

For every woman who takes a step toward her own liberation, there is a man who finds the way to freedom has been made a little easier.

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