10/12/2024
๐ฝ๐ค๐จ๐๐จ ๐๐พ๐พ๐๐๐ฃ | ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐ข๐: ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ
In the ever changing landscape of human relationships, guilt and accountability are meant to be shared equally. Yet a pattern persists; when a man and a woman both err, societyโs finger often points sharply and singularly at her. Itโs a tale as old as time, told in the whispers of alleyways, the fire of social media posts, and the veiled condemnation of familial circles. โKasalanan niya โto, babae kasi eh.โ โSure ball babae ang may kasalanan nito, malandi eh.โ โBabae siya, siya ang may kasalanan.โ These phrases arenโt anomaliesโtheyโre echoes of a culture that clings to a deep-seated bias. They encapsulate a worldview where women are disproportionately vilified, their intentions questioned, and their humanity reduced to archetypes of seduction and sin.
The roots of this blame culture stretch back to ancient narratives, like the story of Adam and Eve. In many interpretations, Eve is seen as the original sinner, the temptress who led humanity astray. But wasnโt Adam equally complicit? Both partook, yet the metaphorical scarlet letter was branded on Eveโs chest. Itโs a philosophical paradox: why does the weight of shared actions rest so heavily on one gender? Is it easier to target the one society deems โweakerโ or โmore culpableโ based on outdated stereotypes? If so, why have we allowed such frameworks to persist into an era that claims to champion equality? Consider the modern parallel.
A consensual affair erupts into a scandalโwho bears the brunt of the shame? The woman, labeled as a homewrecker, a mistress, a temptress. The man? His indiscretion is often dismissed as a lapse, a โmoment of weakness.โ In boardrooms, in politics, in relationshipsโwhen a mistake is made, women are too often the ones tasked with carrying the cross, while their male counterparts are handed absolution. This gendered blame game is deeply embedded in societal conditioning. From a young age, girls are taught to be responsible not only for their actions but for the actions of others. If a boy misbehaves, itโs because a girl โdistractedโ him.
If a marriage fails, the wife is scrutinized for her inability to โkeepโ her husband. But what happens when this blame culture erodes individual accountability? Men, shielded from their share of the responsibility, are left unchallenged to grow and to learn from their mistakes. Meanwhile, women are burdened with guilt that isnโt theirs to carry, their sense of self-worth corroded by the ceaseless accusations. Imagine a courtroom where two people stand trial for the same crime. The evidence is clear: both are equally guilty. Yet the judge condemns only oneโbecause of her gender. What kind of justice system would this be? And yet, this scenario plays out every day in the court of public opinion. To hold one person solely accountable for a shared sin is not just an injustice; it is a moral failing of the society that allows it. It begs the question: are we, as a culture, more committed to upholding outdated biases than to pursuing true equality? At the heart of this issue lies a profound question: โIf women are blamed for sins they commit with others, does this reveal their guiltโor societyโs refusal to see men as accountable?"And a final thought to ponder: What does it say about us when our justiceโpersonal, relational, societalโis shaped not by fairness but by convenience? The weight of shared sin is too heavy for one gender to carry alone. Perhaps itโs time we stopped casting stones and started holding up mirrors.
โ๏ธ Fankie Lloyd Intes
๐จ Arianne Kate Janito
๐ป Hannah Grace Epanto
