“What is the essence of being a woman?” It’s a question often asked during beauty pageants. But who is the Filipina now?

Today, women are still stereotyped as homebodies and domesticated people, only capable of childbearing and house chores, such as cooking and cleaning. Even though we live in a time when women can run countries, we still tend to forget that women are capable of things beyond the household setting. Proof of this is the fact that women still get abused verbally and physically.

According to the Philippine Commission on Women, in 2013, the number of VAW cases reported to the Philippine National Police increased by 49.4 percent from the 2012 report. Those were just the reported cases, and even now there are still women who are afraid to report; there have also been instances of unfair treatment and objectification of women in media and in everyday conversations.

The Manila Bureau believes that women are capable of stepping out of that stereotype. As young people, we can contribute towards making that happen. Here are just some of the ways:

• Report cases of violence against women to authorities.
• Don’t abuse the kindness and sincerity of women, especially if you are a man.
• Join protests or activities that call for basic social services for women.
• Call out media if they have biased reports on women or have represented them unfairly.
• Participate in discussions that tackles women’s rights and related double standards in society.
• Respect all genders