Twice blessed

Ninotchka Rosca blogs and I find out about it on Women’s Day. What is that, serendipity?

From Wikipedia:
Ninotchka Rosca is a Filipina feminist, author, and human rights activist. She is also co-founder of the Gabriela Network and was a political prisoner under the dictatorial government of Ferdinand Marcos.

Here’s the link to Lily Pad, where she writes about women, justice, and everything in between.

If you’re lucky enough to come by her books, you better grab them at once and not let go. And then contact me ASAP and have me borrow them, as I am never lucky and the only Ninotchka book I’ve ever come across is the satirical Twice Blessed, reading which is how Ms. Rosca got to be one of my favorite writers. I tried looking for her other novels but they’re just so hard to come by. I think now maybe it’s because they were banned by the Marcoses.

Go on, go on. Click, read, and learn.

Maligayang araw ng kababaihan

Because a Woman’s Work is Never Done Manifesto*

Because a woman’s work is never done
and is underpaid, or unpaid, or boring, or repetitious
and we’re the first to get fired
and what we look like is more important than what we do
and if we get raped it’s our fault
and if we get beaten we must have provoked it
and if we raise our voices we’re nagging bitches
and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos
and if we don’t we’re frigid
and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a real man
and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic or pushy
and if we expect childcare we’re selfish
and if we stand up for our rights we’re aggressive and un-feminine
and if we don’t we’re typical weak females
and if we want to get married we’re out to trap a man
and if we don’t we’re unnatural
and because we still can’t get an adequate, safe contraceptive, but men can walk on the moon
and if we can’t cope or don’t want a pregnancy we’re made to feel guilty about abortion
and for lots and lots of other reasons
we are part of the women’s liberation movement…

* Joyce Stevens, written for Women’s Liberation Broadsheet, International Women’s Day, 1975.

Eto rin pala yung pinost ko sa blog ko nung isang taon, tinatamad ako mag-isip ng iba eh. :D