To the Young Women of Malolos

In tagalog, Mga Kababayang Dalaga ng Malolos is a letter written by Dr. Jose P. Rizal for the
young women of Malolos in 1889. The letter was addressed in the time of of political outrage
paused by the twenty women who petitioned for a night school study the Spanish language and
be at par with men.

Women of Malolos

Background

 Del pilar (who was in Barcelona) wrote to Rizal (who was in London) on February 17,
1889, requesting to send a letter in Tagalog to the brave women of Malolos.
 Dr. Jose Rizal sent the letter to Del Pilar on February 22, 1889 for transmittal to Malolos.

On December 12, 1888, a group of twenty young women of Malolos petitioned Governor-
General Weyler for permission to open a "night school" so that they might study Spanish under
Teodoro Sandiko Fr. Felipe Garcia, the Spanish parish priest, objected the proposal. Therefore,
the governor-general turned down the petition. However, the young women, in defiance of the
friar's wrath, bravely continued their agitation for the school - a thing unheard of in the
Philippines in those times. They finally succeded in obtaining government approval to their
project on the condition that Señora Guadalupe Reyes should be their teacher.

Summary

 Dr. Jose Rizal pays homage to 20 women of Malolos who desire to educate themselves
  In this way, Rizal sees in these women a ray of hope in restoring the Filipino women's
dignity and worth
 Rizal emphasizes the importance of Filipino mother
 Rizal refers to different women in society: mothers, daughter, wives, and even the
unmarried ones

Responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children

There are many points mentioned in this portion of Rizal's letter, but the central idea is:

"Whatever the mother shows to her children is what the children will also become"

Rizal's advice to unmarried men and women

Appearance and looks can be very deceiving

Three things that young women should look for a man she intends to be her husband:

 A noble and honored name

 A manly heart
 A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves

Lessons of the literary To the young women of Malolos

1. Woman as a symbol of freedom

2. The teachings of the priest vs the teachings of God
3. Role of woman in the family
4. Qualities of the mothers to have posses
5. Advice to the unmarried Filipinos