Gender Bias

Just this afternoon, we had a laboratory exercise in one of my engineering subjects. We had to disassemble the parts of the engine to examine its internal parts, especially the piston. We were asked to group ourselves into three groups, with at least one guy in a group. My three guy classmates agreed to go in one group including a girl classmate. In our group, we were two girls and one boy. The engine assigned to us was more complicated than theirs. It was really difficult to disassemble the parts, especially that not all tools are available, one wrench was missing. Sometimes, we had to use our bare hands to turn the screws. Aside from that, we had to remember where did we get those parts so that it would be easier to assemble them back. I admit I was not used to machine works but it also does not mean that being a girl is a factor. The other group finished early not because there were three boys in their team but because they were four, we were only three and we had a different engine.

Usually, girls do not do such work. It is usually done by men. When I was a child, I admired my godmother because she is an engineer. That time, i hardly knew women engineers and maybe that was one of the reasons why I am studying an engineering course today. In our society today, gender discrimination is happening especially in jobs and other tasks. In some companies, they rarely hire women because women will get pregnant and will take maternity leave. They see women as fragile and weak.

They say that behind every successful man is a woman... But these days, women do not need to be behind men. They can be beside or even in front of them. There should be fair opportunities for both as we are all created fair and equal. I have even seen a jeepney driver who is a mother of two children. She had to feed her children because she has no husband with her. I also heard my high school schoolmate had driven an airplane. She is really something rare...

Agricultural Engineering

Engineering may seem to be familiar to anyone, it is the application of natural and physical sciences for the benefit of mankind. It is also termed as applied science or technology. In the simplest sense, it is application. There are plenty of engineering courses, may it be the usual ones that you hear like civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, industrial engineering, sanitation engineering, geodetic engineering, materials engineering, electronics and communications engineering or the not so common engineering fields like ceramics engineering, automotive engineering, aerospace engineering, molecular engineering, genetic engineering, and bio-systems engineering.

Agricultural Engineering is the application of fundamental and known principles of engineering to agriculture. This branch of engineering is not that familiar to anyone especially to those in rural areas. Universities teaching this course need enough agricultural space which is not found in cities. The degree Bachelor of Science in Agriculture is often misunderstood by some people. They though that you will only be farming if you will take that course. They are not knowledgeable about that field that is why they have said that. If only they knew what agriculture has done and is doing for the benefit of mankind, especially the fact that everybody eats and everything they eat is part of agriculture. Agriculture is more on research and concepts while agricultural engineering is more on practice and application. Agricultural Engineers develop new ways and machines to increase the productivity and enhance the process.

Agricultural Engineering in our university is divided into four major divisions namely, Agricultural Bio-processing Division, Agrometeorology and Farm Structures Division, Land and Water Division, and Agricultural Machinery Division. Each has its own way of improving agriculture. These engineers contribute much to the nation especially in helping our farmers produce our food.