The Single Filipina: Blazing Trails And Redefining What It Means To Be A Woman

The Fifth Asuncion Miteria Austria Professorial Chair Lecture

The Single Filipina: Blazing Trails And Redefining What It Means To Be A Woman
by Samantha Erika N. Mendez, PhD, RPsy

Abstract:
This lecture tackles how always single women who do not have children challenge the prevailing heteropatriarchal norms of gender, marriage, and family that remain to be the social expectation, despite global and local statistics showing a decline in marriage, and an increase in singlehood. By living what is considered non-normative lives and failing to meet the gold standard of success for women in becoming wives and mothers, these women are subject to social pressures to conform, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, and marginalization.

In this lecture, Dr. Mendez shares how the Filipino single women from her research sample experienced and responded to this. Furthermore, she talks about how they have paved variegated paths to a meaningful life and successful womanhood beyond the traditional roles of wife and mother, redefining and expanding the definition of successful and meaningful womanhood in the process.

The lecture ends with a discussion on the different ways that modern Philippine society can become a safe and inclusive space that can accommodate, support, and celebrate not only women considered traditionally successful in their roles as wives and mothers, but also, and most especially, the single women who are blazing the trails and redefining the metrics for successful womanhood and meaningful lives in this modern world that we live in.

Please join us for the Asuncion Miteria Austria Professorial Chair Lecture of Dr. Samantha Erika Mendez this 17 Oktubre 2025 (Biyernes), 4:30 n.h. – 7:30 n.g., at Lagmay Hall Room 304, UP Diliman and FB Live.

This is free and open to all. You may register through this link: https://tinyurl.com/SingleFilipina