Who knows what women can be when they are finally free to become themselves? Who knows what women’s intelligence can contribute when it can be nourished without denying love? Who knows of the possibilities of love when men and women share not only the fulfillment of their biological roles, but the responsibilities and passions of the work that creates the human future. It has bearely begun, the search of women themselves.
Betty Friedman, from “The Feminine Mystique”
“Choices and New Chances”
What choices and new chances face the Filipina migrant in the Netherlands today? With this theme, we will celebrate our International Women’s Day. How can we as women migrants make use of these choices and new opportunities to develop our full potentials? Are there enough choices to bet our chances on – in terms of labour and social participation? Or do we feel excluded and isolated? What opportunities lurk behind the obstacles we face in our pursuit as active citizens in the Dutch society?
This year, in celebration of the International Women’s Day, we would like to share experiences and inspire each other on the choices we make in making our lives in the Netherlands fruitful and meaningful - how we as Filipinas make our choices to grab the new opportunities around us. Let’s make use of our talents, let’s make it visible – then we are on the go while integrating and participating in the Dutch society.
To inspire us, we have invited active and inspiring migrant women to share with us the choices they made by making use of their talents which turned them to be what they are now and indeed made their lives different: their choices and chances to maximize their talents as a career-woman, a volunteer, a stay-home mom and a mother.
The book ”Hope Away from Home “authored by Evelyn Miranda Feliciano with Rochita Loenen- Ruiz will also be launched during the IWD. Rochita’s short story “My Skin” and nine extracts from a poetic memoir project that she has been working on are included in this book. “ Evelyn Miranda-Feliciano is OMF Literature’s best selling author and this book bears testimony to her gift as a writer with a compassionate heart. The stories in this book are meant to encourage, enlighten and empower the Filipino who lives and works abroad. Included in this book are courageous stories of Filipino Workers abroad, as well as a list of pointers from the POEA.”
This activity is part of the 9th International Women’s Festival in Utrecht. (see www.idea-utrecht.nl/actueel/agenda).
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