ECONO MI C EM POWE R ME NT FOR FIL I P I NA E NTR EPRE NE U R S As a favourable business environment and hotbed for female entrepreneurship, the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWEN) is pioneering an equitable future for Filipino women Writer: Phoebe Harper
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id you know that the Philippines is one of the most gender-equal countries in the world? In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum, the country ranked 17th globally, and second in the Asia Pacific region. The Philippines upholds its commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, a key pillar of which is ‘SDG #5’ - to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls on the understanding that economic empowerment of women is fundamental to sustainable development. At the forefront of realising this vision in the Philippines is the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWEN). Working to eliminate gender inequality and bias as factors that undermine economic growth, and instead advocating equal opportunities for education, paid employment and greater decisionmaking power in both public and private sectors, we find out more with Founding Chairperson and President, Ma. Aurora D. Geotina-Garcia. 16 | APAC Outlook issue 56
APAC Outlook (AO): Firstly, could you introduce us to PhilWEN and tell us about your mission? Ma. Aurora D. Geotina-Garcia, Founding Chairperson and President (ADG): PhilWEN is a coalition of women’s business organisations with a broad representation of female participation in the economy. The member organisations are comprised of women entrepreneurs: Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), large enterprises, start-ups, marginalised women, and professionals - middle managers, CEOs, and board directors. PhilWEN advocates for women’s economic empowerment through initiatives that encompass a
wide age and socio-economic reach. PhilWEN’s vision is to be the catalyst that will integrate and harness the strengths of coalition members into an influential force for women’s economic empowerment and gender equality. Our mission is to empower and uplift women to become equal partners in society, by equipping them with the tools to provide a better future for themselves and their families, and have the hope, opportunity, and ability to control their lives and to enable all Filipino women to be viewed and treated equally in all aspects of life. We enable women to be self-sustaining and well-recognised in their community, to be well respected and truly empowered, and to be advocates for women’s rights, capacities and driving forces for social change. AO: What do PhilWEN identify as the key drivers of change for workplace gender equality? ADG: In 2017, PhilWEN partnered with Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, to form the Philippine Business Coalition for
