To the Women of Malolos was originally written in Tagalog.

Rizal penned this writing when he was in

London, in response to the request of Marcelo H. del Pilar. The salient points contained in this letter are
as follows:

1. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars not all of the priests in the country that time
embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were corrupted by worldly desires and
used worldly methods to effect change and force discipline among the people.
2. The defense of private judgment
3. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess as evidenced by this portion of his letter, Rizal is
greatly concerned of the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they grow up in.
4. Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children
5. Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband Filipino women are known to be
submissive, tender, and loving. Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino women ought to be as
wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.
6. Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner

In his letter to the young women of Malolos, Jose Rizal pays homage to the
20c o u r a g e o u s w o m e n o f t h e t o w n f o r t h e i r d e s i r e t o e d u c a t e
t h e m s e l v e s , t r u l y, a liberating action at that time. Rizal sees in these
women a ray of hope in restoringthe Filipino woman's dignity and worth,
which are being denigrated at that time;that women are not only
an accessory to a family following her mothers decisionsa n d w h i m s , t h a t
w o m e n a r e n o t j u s t m e r e f o l l o w e r s a n d a r e o n l y c a p a b l e t o b e fragile
and silent not even trying to voice out their ideas, and that women now havefinally
awakened that they too can react and struggle for freedom and what is right.He also
emphasized the importance of the Filipino mothers, as it is in their nurturinghands
where the children's future lies whether they be free or enslaved. In
thisrespect, Rizal compares the Filipino woman vis-a-vis the European women and
usingthe Spartan women as model, he cites examples of the way the Spartan women
seet h e m s e l v e s . R i z a l c o m p a r e d t h e F i l i p i n o w o m e n a n d t h e f o r e i g n w
o m e n , w h i c h entails his huge respect to the Filipino women on their vital
roles as mothers andwives. Being the foundation of principles and values in ensuring
the progress of thenation, a mother should nourish her children with proper values,
desired knowledgea n d s h a p e t h e m t o b e c o m e G o d - f e a r i n g a n d
r e s p o n s i b l e c i t i z e n s . A s a w i f e , a Filipina must support her husband in
every problem, inspire him, encourage him,take a part with him all obstacles and
dangers and to sympathize. Rizal advices theFilipino women to use reason, to
know what a good mother is, and how to becomeone. He reiterates that a
good mother teaches honor, honesty, love of fellowmen, a n d r e s p e c t f o r
God. He urges them to ponder on his words and use reason
t o determine what is just from unjust.Rizal ends his letter exhorting the women to
"open your children's eyes sothey may jealously guard their honor, love their
fellowmen and their native land anddo their duty".