Don't underestimate the power of women - Robredo
Published Nov 22, 2019 12:00 am
By Merlina Hernando Malipot
For Vice President Leni Robredo, her being a “woman” becomes a source of strength and determination in facing challenges ahead as she leads the country’s war against illegal drugs.
Vice-President Leni Robredo (OVP / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
“These past two weeks, since I accepted the President’s challenge to lead the government’s efforts against illegal drugs, it has been this strength and determination that I learned as a woman that has allowed me to persevere, in the face of innumerable obstacles and difficulties, to say the least,” Robredo said Friday as she keynoted the third day of the First International Conference on Gender, Adult Literacy, and Active Citizenship for Social Transformation (GALACST) held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
On November 5, President Rodrigo Duterte designated Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). Weeks after she accepted the post, the lady official has been subjected to a lot of criticisms coming - mostly coming from the allies of the same administration which appointed her.
“While a lot of people were surprised that I accepted the post, I never—even for a moment—thought of turning my back on the opportunity to serve our country,” Robredo said. “After all, we women are truly made of sterner stuff than most people think,” she added.
During her speech, Robredo also reiterated the importance of uplifting women in the society noting that empowered women would equate to improved and stronger communities. “We, women, will not let anything stop us from giving a part of ourselves to our nation or to our generation when we are needed, no matter what or who tries to stop us,” she said.
Robredo underscored the importance of women empowerment and “women helping other women” when it comes to improving communities.
The Philippines, Robredo said, was “one of the top 10 countries” in the world where it is great to be a woman. “But even here, there is more space to improve gender equality,” she said - sharing some of experiences and lessons that she and the Office of the Vice President have encountered. “Through stories, that I have personally witnessed as we worked to fight extreme poverty in the farthest and most marginalized places across the country,” she added.
Stories of women who still suffer from concepts of gender equality, Robredo said, “highlight a very important lesson that helped us at the Office of the Vice President create sustainable, progressive, gender-sensitive communities: real women empowerment comes from economic empowerment.”
For Robredo, the greatest part of dealing with stories of gender inequality is that when “women take care of each other, especially those who are wounded, downtrodden, and marginalized.”
Robredo said that the OVP has been bringing together marginalized, abused, or underprivileged women entrepreneurs through what its “Angat Buhay Workshop for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs.”
“In the last couple of years, we have held these gatherings in different parts of the country to listen to what they need and to provide a safe space for them to undergo successful transformations,” Robredo said. This, she added, confirms what academic studies have shown that in order to close the gender gap, at least four things should happen: “first, make it safe and fair for women to do trade-related businesses; second, bring more women into the workforce and achieve gender parity in the workplace; third, make spaces for female-led enterprises; and fourth, facilitate equal access to technology.”
Robredo also noted that the propensity of women to share the road of their success with their sisters is a “tangible force” in the world of business and economics. “It may be hard to quantify but its effects are palpable,” she said. “This is how we create a sustainable, progressive, and empowering community—we bring women together and allow them to lift each other up with matchless excellence and generosity,” she ended.
Vice-President Leni Robredo (OVP / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
“These past two weeks, since I accepted the President’s challenge to lead the government’s efforts against illegal drugs, it has been this strength and determination that I learned as a woman that has allowed me to persevere, in the face of innumerable obstacles and difficulties, to say the least,” Robredo said Friday as she keynoted the third day of the First International Conference on Gender, Adult Literacy, and Active Citizenship for Social Transformation (GALACST) held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
On November 5, President Rodrigo Duterte designated Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). Weeks after she accepted the post, the lady official has been subjected to a lot of criticisms coming - mostly coming from the allies of the same administration which appointed her.
“While a lot of people were surprised that I accepted the post, I never—even for a moment—thought of turning my back on the opportunity to serve our country,” Robredo said. “After all, we women are truly made of sterner stuff than most people think,” she added.
During her speech, Robredo also reiterated the importance of uplifting women in the society noting that empowered women would equate to improved and stronger communities. “We, women, will not let anything stop us from giving a part of ourselves to our nation or to our generation when we are needed, no matter what or who tries to stop us,” she said.
Robredo underscored the importance of women empowerment and “women helping other women” when it comes to improving communities.
The Philippines, Robredo said, was “one of the top 10 countries” in the world where it is great to be a woman. “But even here, there is more space to improve gender equality,” she said - sharing some of experiences and lessons that she and the Office of the Vice President have encountered. “Through stories, that I have personally witnessed as we worked to fight extreme poverty in the farthest and most marginalized places across the country,” she added.
Stories of women who still suffer from concepts of gender equality, Robredo said, “highlight a very important lesson that helped us at the Office of the Vice President create sustainable, progressive, gender-sensitive communities: real women empowerment comes from economic empowerment.”
For Robredo, the greatest part of dealing with stories of gender inequality is that when “women take care of each other, especially those who are wounded, downtrodden, and marginalized.”
Robredo said that the OVP has been bringing together marginalized, abused, or underprivileged women entrepreneurs through what its “Angat Buhay Workshop for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs.”
“In the last couple of years, we have held these gatherings in different parts of the country to listen to what they need and to provide a safe space for them to undergo successful transformations,” Robredo said. This, she added, confirms what academic studies have shown that in order to close the gender gap, at least four things should happen: “first, make it safe and fair for women to do trade-related businesses; second, bring more women into the workforce and achieve gender parity in the workplace; third, make spaces for female-led enterprises; and fourth, facilitate equal access to technology.”
Robredo also noted that the propensity of women to share the road of their success with their sisters is a “tangible force” in the world of business and economics. “It may be hard to quantify but its effects are palpable,” she said. “This is how we create a sustainable, progressive, and empowering community—we bring women together and allow them to lift each other up with matchless excellence and generosity,” she ended.