Lived Experience of Old Maidens

Ariane Castillo
Clarisse Joyce Makil
Maricel Depdepen

Research IA
Regional Science High School for Regon I
Bangar, La Union
 Chapter I

Introduction

A. Background of the Study

The first woman to live on Earth was Eve, she was a product of the divine creation and she appeared

as a complete, perfect woman. She was never a child, a daughter or a maiden and also she was the mother

of all. In the Old Testament, woman are respected the most for their roles as wives and mothers.

Aside from its biblical definition, a woman is a female human being and a counterpart of the male

human being. The term woman is usually for an adult and with the term girl being referred to a female child

or an adolescent. Women are usually capable of giving birth from puberty until menopause.

The roles of a woman may vary through the years, to being just at home and to being in a workplace

they want to be. According to Bella Vivante in her book titled Women's Roles in Ancient Civilizations: A

Reference Guide, women in ancient civilization cultures played a variety of roles: mother, artist,

agriculturalist, nurse, healer, midwife, judge, priestess, weaver, queen, leader, prostitute, merchant, laborer,

warrior, holy woman, and more. The range and similarity of the roles presented here provide a solid

foundation for comparing women's roles across several cultures.

Through the years, women proved to be equal to men. They can also do what things a man can do such

as, doing jobs that are usually for men, entering the world of politics and changing the world in a variety of

ways that they can. In recent decades women in many societies now have access to careers beyond the

traditional homemaker through a combination of economic changes and the efforts of the feminist

movement.

However, one of the most important roles a woman can do is to be married, bear a child and start a

family. Being so determined to achieve their goals in their career of choice and they are driven so much to
help their families, they tend to forget their own happiness of being married and being a mother. They focus

on things that can satisfy them in other ways than in things that can really fulfill their roles as being a

woman. With these cases, they tend to be old and unmarried women. It was found that never-married

women in this modern era have experienced a variety of illnesses, such as “office syndrome” symptoms,

chronic illnesses, and psychological and psychosomatic symptoms (Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences,

n.d).

Never-married women who felt that considerable attention was directed at them because of their age

and single status (Ganong and Elizabeth Sharp, n.d). Empirical evidence in the literature on single women

in early and later life shows that this group of women struggles with health problems, death, other severe

injuries and accidents, and adjustment (Gardner & Oswald, 2004; Hokby, Reimers, & Laflamme, 2003;

Manzoli, Villari, Pirone, & Boccia, 2007; Prior & Hayes, 2001; Shkolnikov et al., 2006).According to Net

Industries and its Licensors, woman who remain single throughout their lives still face difficulties. The

availability of a willing sexual partner, particularly in later life, is more likely to be a problem for the

unmarried. Further, for those who live alone, the financial costs tend to be greater than for those who share

a household. Over 67 percent of never married women and 66 percent of divorced women perceive what

happens to other women as having some or a lot to do with what happens in their own lives (American

Sociological Association, 2015).

According to Philippines Statistical Authority, of the 19 million women aged 15 to 49 years in the

Philippines, 37.5 percent were single, 52.7 percent married, 1.9 percent widowed, 1.4 percent

divorced/separated, and 5.5 percent had other marital arrangements. A last but significant condition and

reason for spinsterhood is the economic status enjoyed by the women who become old maids. According

to Roy’s survey discovered, for example, that 96.66 percent of the old maids interviewed, were happy with

their economic status, a phenomenon which is far from surprising. For, in traditional landed families,

unmarried sisters have almost always been awarded a special “mejora”, simply because they are unmarried

(Nicanor G. Tiongson, 2010).

 Despite of the elderly unmarried woman being proud and satisfied to what they have become in their

career paths there would always be loneliness in them and regret of not having a family. As a result, they

are more prone to having affairs with self-perception that can affect their mental health. These issues

intrigued and moved the researchers to know more about their life specially their behaviors and attitude

toward other people and even toward themselves.

B. Statement of the Problem

The study aims to determine the contributing factors why woman end up being old and

unmarried and how they are now. Hence, it seek to answer the following questions:

1. How did the old maiden end up having no husband and child?

2. To what matters do the old maidens focused on and where they often give their attention?

3. Why the old maidens chose to be unmarried?

4. What are the negative and positive effects of being an old maiden?

5. How do old maidens view life?

C. Significance of the study

This study was undertaken to explore and describe the lived experiences of old maidens.

Also, it aims to trace the roots or contributing factors that may led woman to become an old and

unmarried in order to understand them more and end up giving some benefits to the society. It is

important to know how they are now as elders specially to know matters concerning their mental,

emotional, social health. The surrounding people will also be knowledgeable enough why and how they

end up to be and elderly unmarried woman. Also, their stories will serve as a lesson to learn from to

younger generations that can help them in choosing their right path to achieve fulfillment and true

satisfactory when they get old. This study may serve as a guide or reference for future researchers in
making
their own research that is aligned with the said problem or topic. It will also be their source for

additional information and may include the data or findings of this study in their review of related

literature which is related to their study to support their claims. Furthermore, this will be open for

development or improvement.