Rizal Malolos

The issues discussed in the famous letter of Rizal entitled, “To the Young Women of Malolos,” are the inequality between men and women, slavery done by the Spaniards because of ignorance, fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars, the role of mothers in the family, tyranny of some because of the cowardice and negligence on the part of others, unreligious acts of the friars towards the Filipinos, education not given to other Filipinos by the Spaniards, and lastly, the abuse of the Spaniards because of the hospitality of the Filipinos. In this letter, Rizal addresses all kinds of women – mothers, wives, the unmarried, and expresses everything that he wishes them to keep in mind.

Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit that the young women of Malolos had shown. His letter is his own way of recognition for them as brave Filipinas who are no longer blinded by the fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars. In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction over the battle they had fought. Rizal also emphasizes in the letter his desire for women to be offered the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. Education is indeed important not just for men but as well as for women and everyone has the right to education. Under his letter he also mentioned about our own freedom as individual human beings that we must have our own judgment of what is right and wrong.
Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young women of Malolos.

In recent times, it seems that these qualities are gradually lost in the way Filipino women conduct themselves.   There are oftentimes moments where mothers forget their roles in rearing their children because of the overriding idea of having to earn for the family to supplement their husband’s income.   Although there is nothing negative about working hard for the welfare of the family, there must always be balance in the way people go through life....