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What Defines a Woman?

Article by Sophia Teaรฑo / Photos by Lisa Marie David and Jeanne Dizon

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Complete this line: kababae mong tao tapos ________ ka.

A very familiar phrase, isnโ€™t it? Itโ€™s as if being a woman means being born into a predetermined mold. How many times has it been said of what a woman should and shouldnโ€™t be like? And how many instances did it almost seem like it was true?

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In as much as women are very capable, itโ€™s as if it takes twice the effort to prove oneselfโ€”one that she is a person of capacity and substance, and the other, that sheโ€™s worthy of being heard and believed โ€œdespite being a woman.โ€

But being a woman is not as simple as choosing desired traits from a menu. At Belle de Jourโ€™s Womenโ€™s Summit, the speakers illustrated and explored what it means to be a woman. This year, the event was entitled โ€œWomen Redefinedโ€ and six speakers shared their stories in redefining who the Filipina woman is in moments of resilience, courage, and resourcefulness.

(READ: Young Komiks Creators Illustrate What Women are Going Through Today)

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Hereโ€™s how the speakers defined being a woman:

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She is persistent.

At 23, Rachel Devilla is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Cropital,ย a crowdfunding platform for farmers. When things are hard, she pushes herself even more because these moments prove and show her what sheโ€™s capable of. She has reflected a lot on her passions, made sure to work hard on them, and pushed through with a quality support system rooting for her. During instances of struggles, she found herself holding onto her core values, noting that treating the experience as a reference to look back on paved theย way to becoming a better version of herself.

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She is a fighter.

Jover Laurio is all about persisting to fight through things that try to hold you back from speaking up. She thinks justice and truth canโ€™t be compromised. In pursuing them, she reminds herself of what it means to be courageous: that it isnโ€™t the absence of fear, but choosing to fight despite the presence of fear. Through speaking up, she says that you can create a voice for the people who canโ€™t speak for themselves. In this way, she wishes to pave way for a safer and more meaningful country for the next generations.

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Read on for more!