5 Lessons Jasmine Curtis wants every girl to know
Through World Vision's #GirlsCan campaign, the actress reflects on the lessons she learned from her mother about finding her voice and claiming her space
Published Aug 29, 2026 03:58 pm
Jasmine Curtis
With an A-list actress for a sister in Anne Curtis, plus beauty, talent, and wit of her own, most people might think Jasmine Curtis simply has it all. But during World Vision’s #GirlsCan campaign event at Gateway 1 Mall in Cubao last Aug. 22, Jasmine opened up about the barriers she faced and the woman who taught her that breaking them can create more possibilities for the next generation.
As a World Vision ambassador, Jasmine shared how her mother’s experiences shaped the way she and her sister learned to recognize their voices, set boundaries, and pursue their own dreams.
Here are five things to learn from Jasmine’s story.
1. Girls often learn expectations before they learn possibilities
Jasmine pointed out that gender bias can begin at home, sometimes through seemingly simple messages about what girls should or should not do.
“Before a girl learns what she wants, she learns what the world expects of her,” she said.
Repeated expectations can eventually become self-doubt, causing girls to believe that certain dreams, careers, or opportunities are meant for someone else.
2. Her mother became her first example of breaking barriers
For her, the first example of a woman breaking barriers was her mother. Coming from a humble background in Bolinao, Pangasinan, her mother, Carmen had to work early after her own mother became sick. She helped pay for her siblings’ education while putting her own dreams on the back burner.
Her mother also did not finish high school. This made education especially important to Jasmine’s family as she and Anne grew up.
“I learned by watching what my mom did when life didn't make things easy for her,” Jasmine said.
3. One woman’s choices can expand another girl’s possibilities
Jasmine said her mother eventually returned to school and work when she was already in her 40s. She later worked as a nurse aide in a hospital and eventually had her own agency.
Watching her mother make those choices changed how Jasmine viewed her own future. “My mother’s choice has expanded mine,” she said, explaining that her mother’s decision to pursue her own path allowed Jasmine and Anne to imagine more possibilities for themselves.
That example also showed her that a person’s journey does not have to end in one chapter.
4. Speaking up is part of claiming your space
Her mother also taught Jasmine that their voices matter. “We can say no and speak up if we are not treated right,” she said.
Jasmine connected this lesson to her own experience, sharing that she spoke up after receiving disrespectful treatment. For her, claiming space means knowing that girls and women can set boundaries and speak when something does not feel right.
5. Telling girls they can is not enough
The World Vision ambassador then emphasized that empowerment should go beyond simply telling girls to be courageous.
“Girls can’t just mean girls, try harder,” she said. “Because courage isn't enough if the doors were closed.”
She called on parents, teachers, employers, media, men, and women to help create environments where girls have access to education, safety, health information, protection, support, and opportunities.
“Our job isn't only to tell a girl that she can. Our job is to help build a world that doesn't keep telling her she can't,” Jasmine said.
Through World Vision’s #GirlsCan campaign, Jasmine hopes to inspire others to help create that kind of world, where girls can dream, choose, lead, and become who they want to be.