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T IS a symbol of growth, of an “everlasting,” “eternal” existence of life or living things on this planet. That is how I see a sprout, the slow breaking out of life from a dying seed that sheds away its covering and joins the earth with its little roots reaching out for water and nourishment.

If people in our harried world would just take but a second and look close enough into the silent beginnings all around, then maybe each of us will be given the chance to see inside ourselves and reflect on what we can contribute to make this world a better place. Thus, what I am seeing is the blossoming of a microenterprise where women are leading for some years now, that is being supported by benevolent organizations working for the betterment of small communities in the region through the Shari’a compliant micro-enterprise.

Though these efforts have yet to come to fruition, it must be noted though that there are already countless beneficiaries especially among Muslim Filipinos who have been benefited in their livelihood. Small, silent but growing, just like the sprout that does not announce it coming to the world.

In contrast, the sight of world “leaders” gathering for the Asia pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) should have been a source of comfort for peoples of the world, but sadly, we cannot truly say this event gives us any assurance at all. Personally, it is not a source of relief that these bigwigs are talking among themselves, because as in the past, these have been done and all we got were promises and more broken promises.

Not a male-hater, but I would say that when big words are uttered by so-called powerful leaders of the world, it gives me the creeps. Patriarchy has not really helped improve the quality of life of humanity elsewhere in this nuclear-threatened world. Instead, the rule of men only makes humanity even vulnerable to aggression and whimsical decisions among these breast-beating leaders.

The APEC gathering instead makes us wonder if at all we will still survive in the next decade as these leaders of the world makes decisions that may affect our very own survival.

This is not to say though that the women has not been actively engaged in governance, as there are a number of women who are true leaders among their people even though they are not being recognized openly. In many far away regions of the world, there are women who are working for the betterment of their people.

It is worth mentioning though that under the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy Working Group evenAPEC members “recognize that the full potential of women’s contribution to the Asia-Pacific economy remains untapped. As a result, women’s economic empowerment and greater inclusion of women in the regional economy are high on APEC’s agenda.”

Moreover, a recent United Nations report states that limits on women’s participation in the workforce across the Asia-Pacific region cost the economy an estimated US $89 billion every year.

It has been said that the APEC has recognized through the years, that women’s participation has not been maximized at all, and yet, so little has been done to address this issue.

But does this matter at all to us in our small communities?

It must be noted that women have been doing great things among our small communities to make life better for themselves and their families. Though they are not often given the recognition by doing so, still they continue to inspire people to continue making the future of the generations to come a better place to be.