Beyond Gender: Rethinking Identity, Roles, and What It Means to Be Human

Every March, we celebrate Women’s Month. And almost inevitably, the question arises: “Bakit parang walang Men’s Month?”

At first glance, it seems like a call for equality. But a deeper look reveals something more important: Women’s Month exists not to elevate one gender above another, but to remind us of a time when women had to struggle for opportunities that men were freely given.

History carries stories that quietly expose this reality. One of them is about Dr. Fe Del Mundo, a Filipina pediatrician who became the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School. She was accepted under the assumption that she was male. Imagine having to be mistaken for someone else just to be allowed to learn. It was not her capability that was questioned, it was her identity, a woman.

In countries like Afghanistan, since 2022, many young women have been restricted from enrolling in colleges and universities. Imagine having the desire to learn, the ability to grow, the potential to contribute, and yet being denied access simply because of your gender. It is a stark reminder that the issue is not whether women are capable, but whether they are given the opportunity.

This brings us to a more profound question: When will we reach a time when a person no longer has to depend on labels; such as gender, clothing, or status... to be accepted? or at least to be given an opportunity?

Even today, we see echoes of this struggle in ordinary situations. People question what others should wear, what spaces they should occupy, or what roles they should fulfill. These are not just social rules; they are reflections of long-standing assumptions about identity.

But where did these assumptions come from?

Much of it is shaped by religion, tradition, and political structures. Over time, these influences created expectations... what a man should be, what a woman should be... and society learned to accept them, yes, we accepted them, often WITHOUT QUESTION.

Yet, when we examine both philosophy and science, the picture becomes more complex.

Some narratives suggest that women came from men, implying a hierarchy or dependency. Others present men and women as created equally, at the same time, with shared purpose. I prefer the latter one. Science tells us that biological sex is determined by chromosomes, XX or XY, the 23rd pair inherited from our parents determine our sex orientation. But what about the other 22 pairs? These influence our personality, emotions, and tendencies—the very things that make us who we are, not just the 23rd pair which determines our sexual orientation.

So, is a person defined by a single biological factor, or by the entirety of their being? I prefer the latter one.

Even biology acknowledges exceptions. Intersex individuals, for example, are born with variations in sex characteristics, challenging the idea that identity is strictly binary. In such cases, identity is not dictated solely by the body, but also by self-awareness and lived experience.

This leads us to an important realization: masculinity and femininity are not confined to being male or female.

These are sets of qualities, or energies that exist within all human beings.

Feminine qualities include nurturing, intuition, sensitivity, and collaboration. Masculine qualities include assertiveness, logic, discipline, and decisiveness. In real life, we see these qualities expressed across genders. A mother can be firm and decisive. A father can be gentle and emotionally present. A teacher can be both structured and compassionate. A leader can be both strong and understanding.

Ancient philosophies have long recognized this balance. The concept of Yin and Yang teaches that opposing forces are not enemies, but complements. One cannot exist without the other. Too much of one creates imbalance. And imbalance, whether in individuals or in societies, often leads to conflict and suffering.

We understand light because we have seen darkness. We value peace because we have known war. In the same way, masculine and feminine qualities gain meaning in relation to each other.

Perhaps the problem is not the existence of differences, but the way we assign value to them.

When one is seen as superior and the other as inferior, imbalance begins. But when both are recognized as essential, harmony becomes possible.

At the deepest level, beyond biology and beyond social roles, we are human beings. Our worth is not determined by gender, but by character... by how we think, act, and relate to others.

A wise perspective comes from the Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, who suggested that instead of asking about a person’s gender, we should ask: What kind of person are you?

This shifts the conversation entirely. It moves us away from labels and toward substance.

Because in the end, the body is temporary. What remains is the quality of the life we lived—the values we embodied, the kindness we offered, the growth we pursued.

So perhaps the goal is not to argue over which gender deserves recognition, but to move toward a deeper understanding: that every person carries both strength and softness, logic and intuition, independence and connection.

And that true growth comes not from fitting into a label, but from cultivating the best within ourselves. In a world still learning to balance identity and equality, one truth remains constant:

We are more than our gender.
We are defined not by what we are called, but by who we choose to become.

Let us remember this: 

"We are beyond our genders. Our nature is a genderless divine. We are becoming the best that we can Be, not because of our gender, but because of our character as a human being.”

Note: This is a curated work and original idea and beliefs of the author, assisted by AI tools for organization, rewording and proofreading of the contents.