International Women’s month is not only about celebrating the countless accomplishments of women around the globe. It’s also about bringing light to issues and challenges that women face in their workforce every day.
Despite the obstacles, women continue to prove their excellence and are gaining recognition in various industries for their work.
To inspire the young women of today to pursue greatness in the workforce, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), together with the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, held the WomEnPower on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, a virtual two-hour learning and mentorship event for young Cebuanas.
Welcoming the participants and viewers of the virtual event, President and CEO of RAFI Amaya Aboitiz- Fansler highlighted the importance of inclusiveness in economic development and strengthening industries for women leaders.
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“For us at RAFI, we have women who lead our organization, our programs, and teams to bring our foundation’s missions forward. Despite all of this, there remains so much more to be done. We need to work to include more women in the labor force. To see more women fully included in all industries. They need to be empowered at all socioeconomic levels to assert their rights,” Fansler said.
Ten like-minded and outstanding Cebuana industry leaders from the fields of public service, media and the arts, business and entrepreneurship, science and technology, civil society and social development, and sports and health were invited to share knowledge, exchange views and emerging good practices in the private sectors and society as a whole.
For us at RAFI, we have women who lead our organization, our programs, and teams to bring our foundation’s missions forward.
Peter MacArthur, Ambassador in the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, expressed his government’s support to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
“The empowerment of women and girls, to which this event is dedicated for gender equality and the promotion and protection of girls’ rights, is a key Canadian value which we support and promote around the world,” MacArthur said.
During the live virtual event, best practices on women’s economic empowerment in diverse fields were discussed.
Participants of the event had the chance to meet and interact with 10 outstanding Cebuana industry leaders.
Atty. Lesley Y. Cordero, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist of the World Bank; Eileen Mangubat, Independent Editor; Raquel Toquero-Choa, CEO of The Chocolate Chamber; Dr. Camila Flor Yagonia-Lobarbio, Professor at the University of San Carlos; Dominica B. Chua, Former President and CEO of RAFI, and Mary Joy Tabal, Philippine National Athlete, also shared their experiences on how they became successful in their respective fields. They also stressed the value of women empowerment and gender equality in creating inclusive and viable industries.
Other speakers in WomEnPower’s breakout session include Bianca Balbuena, CEO of Epicmedia Productions, Inc.; Chef Jade Saducas, Owner of Chef Jade Kitchen; Anya Lim, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery; and Cherry Rondina, Professional Volleyball Player.
/bmjo