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Babae ka, hindi Babae lang: Unapologetically Embracing Femininity

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Talking about gender issues might be seen as a touchy subject, but it's no secret that gender discrimination is a very real thing. From my own life experience, I can sum up growing up as a girl in one word: horrid. Even now, I sometimes find myself frustrated with the fact that I was born a girl, as it often feels like I had to hide my true self to fit in and avoid standing out.   As I got older, my insecurities persisted, along with the unmistakable signs of my femininity. I did everything I could to distance myself from being labeled as "girly," which I'd often heard used as an insult or a way to put down women and girls. The irony is that being 'girly' is one of the defining qualities of girlhood. I wore baggy clothes, pretended to like black, avoided makeup, and did everything I could to avoid embracing the girl who genuinely wanted to wear pink and glitter. But all my attempts to break away from these norms only made me more insecure because that wasn...
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