In 1973, the previously all-male Ateneo de Manila University accepted its first women students. 127 enrolled as freshmen, and 35 transferees were accepted in the upper years. It was a tough road to get to that point, with both the student council and the administration against it as late as 1968. The year-long commemoration of coeducation in the university is titled "40 Years, Half the Sky," after the Chinese proverb which says that "Women hold up half the sky." The young female students of Ateneo now take their presence in the university for granted; many of them don't even know what "coeducation" means. I hope that the commemoration helps them understand the issues back then, and how many women and girls all over the world continue to struggle with disempowerment, oppression and violence.
September 9, 2013
Half the sky
In 1973, the previously all-male Ateneo de Manila University accepted its first women students. 127 enrolled as freshmen, and 35 transferees were accepted in the upper years. It was a tough road to get to that point, with both the student council and the administration against it as late as 1968. The year-long commemoration of coeducation in the university is titled "40 Years, Half the Sky," after the Chinese proverb which says that "Women hold up half the sky." The young female students of Ateneo now take their presence in the university for granted; many of them don't even know what "coeducation" means. I hope that the commemoration helps them understand the issues back then, and how many women and girls all over the world continue to struggle with disempowerment, oppression and violence.
Incredible how long it took so many major universities to 'go coed'! (Same story at every single university I've ever attended, and here at Princeton too)
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in Dublin this year we took a tour of Trinity University, its most distinguished and historic college. ON the main quad there is a marble statue of one of the former Presidents of the University. He for many years said that he would allow women students only over his dead body. The Board finally forced him to sign the paperwork opening up the university to women. Shortly afterwards he had a heart attack and died.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned in a comment on my site that you did not know what a metate is. It is a flat stone used by Native Americans in Central America, Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. to grind corn. It is the based against which a smaller, rounded stone is rubbed to pulverize the corn into corn meal.
Hola Hilda, todo en Manila es interesante Saludos
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested to know that, it turns out, the Ateneo de Davao's college was already co-ed (or was it coed from the start) since the 1950s. Its high school turned co-ed in 1977, with the first co-ed batch graduating in 1981.
ReplyDelete