My heart is full as we come to the close of this program.

We have been richly

taught and enlightened as we have listened to the messages which have been
presented and the testimonies which have been borne. We express thanks to
each one who has participated in this event most especially to the students,
faculty and staff of Naisud Natinal HS and mam Thelma Sitioco.

Let me end this program by leaving you a word of wisdom.

There are two ways of spreading light ...To be the candle, or the mirror
that reflects it.~ Edith Wharton
By honoring yourself and treating yourself with respect, you set the stage up for others to treat
you with respect.Developing great self esteem,believing in ones self, having a never-say-die
attitude and most importantly by supporting other women, women set the sails towards true
women empowerment.

Once again the music has been wonderful. I express my personal gratitude for
those willing to share with us their talents, touching and inspiring us in the
process. The beautiful music they produce enhances and enriches each
session of conference.

On International Day for women, huge sentiments are expressed about the power of women and
many proverbs and poems directed towards women. It is really nice to have a special day for
yourself where you are glorified to a point of being dazed, honored, awarded etc.

All this is fine.Then let’s talk about the day after all this hype about women’s day subsides, when
I am brought back to mother earth – My true place.

I ask, why is that after so much awareness and acknowledgement of a woman’s contribution to
life ,society, family and work; saluting her strength, resilience, sacrifice she still is considered
only second to men and treated like a second rate citizen ?

A woman is the full circle.

Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.~ Diane
Mariechild
Are men to blame? Not really I say.
Let me tell you a story to highlight what I want to say .There was a farmer who found a warm
egg in an eagle’s nest, about to hatch .He took it and put it among his hen’s eggs for hatching
.Pretty soon the eggs hatched and the tiny chicks came out and followed the mother, imitated her
and tried to be like her. The baby eagle also believed that she was a chick and behaved like one.
The mother hen saw and knew that one of her chicks was different, but was afraid to
acknowledge it .The baby eagle, all her life, believed she was a hen and behaved like one .Then
one day she saw a beautiful, powerful eagle soaring high up into the sky with her powerful
wings. The hen eagle looked up and wistfully said, I wish I could soar into the sky so high like
the eagle.” In my next birth I would like to be born an eagle”; not realizing her own, strength,
power and abilities as an eagle.

Many of us women also believe we are hens, when in reality we are eagles. Only, we never
believe we are capable of doing so much more.

Why is that? That’s because deep within us somewhere, it has been ingrained since generations,
that we are not capable of many things. We cannot or must not or should not or will not…..

“Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”-

Elizabeth Gilbert

Ratan Tata’s quote about how none can destroy iron except its own rust,
rings true here. One’s mind set and lack of self-esteem can do more harm to one’s self than
any other thing in the world.

Added to this is the indisputable fact that most of the times, it is women who are obstacles to
women themselves.

If you have seen lobsters lying together after they are caught, open in a basket, you will wonder
why they don’t escape .It is simply because every time a lobster tries to climb out, the others pull
it back.

This is pretty much the attitude of many women while dealing with their daughters when they
don’t accord them the same privileges that they do with their sons, or when a mother- in- law
treats her daughter- in -law as if she is altogether a different species . Or when women colleagues
turn a blind eye when one of their kind is a victim to some kind of harassment. Sometimes in the
form of a police woman who instead of empathizing with a dowry /abuse victim, yells and
roughs her up or a lady gynecologist who doesn't bat an eyelid aborting a female foetus.

“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.”- Ruth Gordon

I have been witness to my women friends and the attitudes they encounter from their families;
women from various strata of the society whom I interact with and their helplessness in doing
things that you and me would consider regular and normal - like taking up a course of higher
studies or finding a new job or even styling their hair differently. I have been beyond shocked
because young girls who want to study and have a career are forced to get married and have no
choice or say because of lack of support from their mothers, fathers, families and society. This is
happening today not 100 years ago.

Well-meaning consistent support, however small, for however trivial

situations in life, if honestly given to women by people who matter, will
truly make a big impact on women's empowerment.
Here it’s not just women’s support that will matter, but men’s support also without which true
empowerment cannot be achieved .For, men play very important roles –Father ,Brother,
Grandfather, Uncle ,Husband, Son, Teacher, Adviser and Friend .The influence and mind set of
all these roles is extremely vital for the true empowerment of a woman.

“If you don’t like being a doormat then get off the floor.”- Al Anon
Small things like encouraging a daughter to find her dreams and helping her achieve them;
appreciating the efforts and helping a woman at home; treating all children equal boy or girl;
making a woman believe in herself and increase her self-confidence by letting her take some
important decisions;making a woman feel safe and other considerate gestures shown
to women at the basic unit called family, will impact the society positively
and tremendously more than any lofty women’s day celebrations will.
While stating all this I would like to thankfully acknowledge my mother, my dad and my family
and their role in supporting me, developing my confidence, treating me on par with my brothers,
while encouraging me to believe that I was better if not equally as good as anyone else in this
world. This faith reposed in me, helped me stand up for myself and rise time after time, in spite
of innumerable setbacks, failures and falls in life and still be able to stand tall and face life
courageously with enthusiasm and a smile.

We all look up to strong, independent women. But how do we become one ourselves?

There are two ways of spreading light ...To be the candle, or the mirror
that reflects it.~ Edith Wharton
By honoring yourself and treating yourself with respect, you set the stage up for others to treat
you with respect.Developing great self esteem,believing in ones self, having a never-say-die
attitude and most importantly by supporting other women, women set the sails towards true
women empowerment.