to be a nation of strong women, who directly and indirectly run the family unit, businesses, and government agencies.

It is in this framework of Philippine hierarchical structure, class differences, religious justifications, and living in a globally developing nation wherein Filipino women struggle for respect.

Compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, women in Philippine society have always enjoyed a greater share of equality.

[14] The babaylan, also called katalonan, bayoguin, bayok, agi-ngin, asog, bido and binabae depending on the ethnic group of the region,[15] held important positions in the community.

Early historical accounts record the existence of male babaylans who wore female clothes and took the demeanor of a woman.

Although Christian values were supposed to be spread through the population, missionaries and priests soon realized that they'd be better off adapting their doctrine as much as possible to the local customs, rather than trying to impose it.

Although the concept of gender equality existed in the Philippines during the pre-Hispanic era this changed when the Spaniards came and patterned the image of the Filipina to a meek and submissive individual.

During the last part of the colonization of the Philippines, Isabella II of Spain, introduced the Education Decree of 1863 (10 years before Japan had a compulsory free modern public education and 40 years before the United States government started a free modern public school system in the Philippines) that provided for the establishment and for the building of at least two free primary schools, one for the boys and another school for the girls, in each town under the responsibility of the municipal government.

Through the American-patterned school system, Filipino women became professionals,[6][20] although most of them and their male counterparts opted for making use of their former education roots and expressed themselves in Spanish or Tagalog.

According to the Monroe Commission on Philippine Education: “Upon leaving school, more than 99% of Filipinos will not speak English in their homes.

In fact, it will only be the government employees, and the professionals, who might make use of English.”[21] Modern-day Philippine women play a decisive role in Filipino families.

This is due to the political and economic changes at the global and national levels in urban society that have led to the growth of export-based industries and the service sector, which then created more opportunities for Filipino women.

This is especially if the housewife, who is often referred to as the Ilaw ng Tahanan (Light of the Home), is convinced of the benefits that will be gained from a certain practice such as the concept of family planning in the barrios.

Flavier also mentioned that "In the Philippine barrio, the one responsible for the home" and its management "is the wife... she holds the key to... household...

It is during the courtship period that the man would put his best foot forward to create a good impression on the woman and her family.

Prior to colonization, both men and women could get a divorce for the following reasons: failure to meet family obligations, childlessness, and infidelity.

Since a man needed to pay a dowry to the woman's family, she was required to give it back should she be found at fault.

The Babaylan tradition and Babaylan-inspired practices are seen as an indigenous spiritual path among Filipinos in the Philippines and in the diaspora as a means to remembering relations to their homeland and healing.

[35] Female genital mutilation is performed in the Philippines in the predominately Muslim Bangsamoro region in the south of the country.

The scope of their functions include cooking, cleaning, teaching the children, washing clothes, repairs, budgeting, and helping in the farm.

These women had to travel to nearby towns to fetch water, which they brought back to the city in water-filled jars, for family consumption or sold for profit.

In 1910, during the first Congress of Labor, the decision to enact a law that would regulate the employment of women and children was approved due to poor working conditions (“dark and ill-ventilated rooms, smoke-filled factories”, etc.)

A recent study revealed that there is a re-emergence of the empowerment of Filipino women through the political process, just as they were prior to the arrival of conquerors from Spain.

Filipino women had been successful in implementing policies by becoming executive staff members, advisers to politicians, and as advocates within non-governmental organizations.

From 1992 to 2001, Filipino women had been elected as local chief executives, functioning as mayors, governors, and captains of villages.

One influential factor contributing to the increasing number of female politicians, is the elevation of Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Philippine women Presidents.