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Gender equality remains a struggle for many countries today. Indeed, the abilities of women to lead are always faced with suspicion and doubts. However, unknown to many, the Golden Age of Southeast Asia represents a time and place when female rule flourished in a remarkable fashion. Across the many kingdoms of the region, between the 1st and the 18th centuries, female rule was not just allowed but it was often preferred. Let's learn more about the status of women in precolonial Southeast Asia!
About the author
I'm Kirby Pábalan-Táyag Aráullo. You might know me from my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/kirbyaraullo), where I explore the interweaving narratives of Filipino history and culture. As a historian and culture bearer, I've spent nearly two decades teaching and reviving our indigenous scripts, Kulitan & Baybayin, shaping an understanding of our roots.
Educated at UC Davis and Harvard, I've navigated the corridors of traditional politics and the dynamic pulse of grassroots activism. As a co-founder of the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis and author of "Black Lives & Brown Freedom," I'm committed to stitching together the fabric of our forgotten histories.
While my ancestry links me to precolonial royalty, my heart beats for activism. Straddling the worlds of politics and grassroots advocacy, I strive to honor my heritage and empower our people through education and engagement. At my core, I am an artist, a scholar, and an activist dedicated to illuminating our past with the brushstrokes of knowledge and creativity.
Joe Biel beautifully compares a Zine to a love letter, bound only by the author's imagination. My foray into Zine writing has transformed some works into books while maintaining the raw spirit of a Zine, fueling my passion projects like the "Know Our Roots" (books) and "Color Our Roots" (coloring books) series. These pieces are part of a larger quest to honor our heritage, reclaiming narratives once lost to colonial oversight.
As I release "Notes & Doodles," my latest Zine series, I celebrate the evolving, imperfect process that mirrors our own growth as human beings. Expect the unexpected - errors and omissions included - as these musings may someday unfold into scholarly works. I welcome constructive criticism and look forward to building and engaging in a community where we can all learn from one another.
In all sincerity, I wish you all peace! Dacal pung salámat!
