Adhika and KRI IWD 2025 Fuels Further Women Empowerment

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Adhika and Kababaihang Rizalista Inc (Sydney Chapter) (KRI) held a joint event on March 15, 2025 at Dooley’s Regency Park to help towards accelerating the advocacy for gender equality and women empowerment.   This was the twelfth year for Adhika undertaking the celebration of International Women’s Day in accordance with the UN IWD theme, and the third time that KRI had partnered in pursuing same goals for women and girl empowerment. 

The month of March is dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in their various fields of expertise, as well as the achievements of girls in our community who at their early age use their talents in events that raise funds for initiatives and projects benefiting many.

This year’s International Women’s Day overall theme is “Women: Driving Innovation, Accelerating Equality”.   Along the lines of this theme, the event honoured seven accomplished women and three talented girls. For the first time, a grandmother and her granddaughter were honoured in an IWD event. These were Liz Umali-Angeles and Amelia Martins.

As in previous celebrations, the IWD event presented a forum in the first part of the celebration.  The aim of the forum is providing a platform for Filipina women to have a voice in the debate about gender equality, domestic abuse and violence against women, entrepreneurship, the role of 'community builders', the amazing contribution of healthcare workers in the country - our nurses and doctors.

The event addressed the fact that very rarely that there are opportunities to have Filipino women onstage to express their views on matters that shape us - our personal growth, our profession and - this year - our contribution to the socio-economic progress of the country through better gender equity, better treatment of women and the fight against domestic violence, and financial independence for women; due recognition and giving value to the contributions on educational and noble endeavours such as KRI pursuing promotion of Rizal’s ideals.

Before the forum, Adhika President Josie Musa gave the Welcome and Acknowledgements talk.  This was followed by an Adhika-KRI presentation by KRI President Michelle Baltazar and a special musical performance by Mikayla Mantua.

In this event’s forum, the members of the Panel were:

Brenda Gaddi, Women of Colour Australia
Ronna Guzman, 2025 IWD Awardee
Marideth Laquian, 2023 IWD Awardee

Liz Umali-Angeles, 2025 IWD Awardee

The Forum Facilitator was Sheila Cabacungan (Certified Financial Adviser, Self Managed Superannuation Fund Specialist, broadcaster and member of the Board of SWR 99.9 FM) with Violi Calvert (Freelance Writer, Media Awardee, producer and co-broadcaster of Fil-Aus radio programs) doing the Opening Remarks for Forum and helping as Forum Moderator.

The Forum was a discussion on how Filipino-Australian women contribute to Australia’s socio-economic progress by driving innovation, strengthening community relations and accelerating gender equity.  Each panellist shared a five minute talk, followed by a Q&A.

The audience enjoyed a very informative talk by each of the panellist and their responses to the questions from the floor.

There was a break which allowed networking by attendees enjoying meeting new contacts in various fields and catching up by friends and colleagues who have not seen each other for some time.

The second part of the event was dinner, awarding and entertainment. 

Josie Musa gave Opening Remarks and thanked everyone present for attending and being part of another IWD event undertaken by Adhika and KRI.  She also acknowledged the presence of the Philippine Consulate General Sydney officials – Consul General Charmaine Rowena Aviquivil, Consul Marie Tario, Vice Consul Frances Cleofas, Cultural Officer Weng Garcia and staff, as well as the community leaders.

Josie also introduced the Keynote Speaker, Consul General Aviquivil. We are pleased to share with permission, the speech by Consul General Aviquivil as attachment to this article.  

The honourees were awarded in intervals with musical performances.
Women Honourees

*Jesil Cajes (Legal Services, Media & Community Service)
*Ronna Guzman (Aged & Disability Care, Corporate Marketing & Human Services)
*Grace Liston (Community Service, Healthcare Services)
*Grazie Panlican (Social Enterprise, Entrepreneurship & Community Media)
*Tess Sayas (2016 Blacktown Woman of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow, Travel & Tourism
*Shera Tiongan-Matias (Legal Services & Cultural Preservation)
*Liz Umali-Angeles (Property, Entertainment & Community Service)

IWD Youth Awardees

*Maria Hall
*Chloe Lofthouse
*Amelia Grace Martins

Both Maria and Chloe performed a song each; while Amelia did an interpretative dance.

An additional feature of the event was the reading of the poem Babae (Walang Lang) composed by well-known community leader, poet and writer, Rado Gatchalian.  The poem which title and messages paid tribute to the strength, resilience and the sacrifices of women undertake. A number of honourees and participants read stanzas from the poem.

The other song performances were done by Zaebriel Orayenza, past Youth Awardee. 

The Master of Ceremonies for both the Forum and the second part of the event was Edinel Magtibay-Dearden, popular media personality and SBS Content Director.  The creatives during the lead up to the were Jojo Almazora Sebastian of Jojo Designs which also designed the certificates and medals, and Marc Baylon who put together the run sheet and program.  Both were not able to attend the event due to urgent work requirement.  The directing and execution of the program on the day of the event were undertaken by Creative Director well-known for successful community events, none other than Chi de Jesus.  He was assisted by DJ Errol Nuque.   Bob Reyes (of Lenzmen) captured the happy moments with his legendary photographic skills.

The cake cutting was done by the VIPs, Adhika & KRI officers and honourees.
Marilie Bomediano and Adhika & KRI officers did the raffle draws, with much cheering from the tables of the winners, especially Table 6 which had a number of winning tickets.  Marilie (radio broadcaster and journalist) did the Closing Remarks.

This forum and gala allow us to make a charity donation to projects by Adhika and KRI.  Adhika has sent books and other resources to school children in Bicol while KRI has sent assistance to Childreamers Tondo which cater to children in the smokey mountain, as well as a donation through the KRI HQ for the maintenance of a Rizal school.

Judging from the happy interaction and chatter in the room, the event was successful and everyone had a great time.  Let’s keep the fervour for women and girls’ empowerment burning!!!  Let’s do our bit to accelerate the drive for gender equity.

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CONSUL GENERAL CHARMAINE ROWENA AVIQUIVIL'S SPEECH

Ms. Josie Musa, President of Adhika,

Lady Michelle Baltazar, President of Kababaihang Rizalista – Sydney Chapter,

Filipino Community Leaders, especially women community leaders,

International Women’s Day 2025 Honorees,

Fellow kababayans, colleagues from the Philippine Consulate General,

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.

Let me begin by congratulating ADHIKA under Ms. Josie Musa and Kababaihang Rizalista – Sydney Chapter under Lady Michelle Baltazar for organizing another meaningful event to celebrate International Women’s Day. We at the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney are pleased to support tonight’s event, as we have traditionally done for several years now.

I would also like to congratulate in advance this year’s honorees—our inspiring ladies and girls, who are entrepreneurs, leaders, and experts—whose influence and expertise in their respective fields serve as an inspiration to the community.

International Women’s Day (IWD) Theme of ADHIKA and KRI

This year’s theme of “March Forward: Driving Innovation, Accelerating Equality” underscores the vital role of women in bridging the gender gap using innovation. Technology, when properly harnessed, enables women to access resources and opportunities, such as online education, healthcare, and finance.

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a significant arena where Filipino women have demonstrated exceptional capability and leadership, not only within the Philippines but also on the global stage. Let me briefly cite two shining examples of women who harnessed innovation for female empowerment and societal advancement.

1. Anna Mae Lamentillo is the founder of NightOwlGPT, a tool that aims to preserve endangered languages through natural language processing, facilitating real-time translation, cultural competence, and interactive learning tools.  NightOwlGPT is an essential invention at a time when 44% of the world’s languages are on the verge of extinction.  Ms Lamentillo has been recognized as one of the five One Young World Ambassadors using AI for good, as well as one of the Top 33 Leaders in Responsible AI (by She Shapes) AI.  After the pilot program in the Philippines, NightOwlGPT plans to expand to Ghana, Pakistan, and Colombia within five years. 

2. Col. Francel Margareth Padilla-Taborlupa, who has made history as the first female spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in its more than 88 years of existence,  is the appointed Responsible AI Governor for the Philippines in the Global Council for Responsible AI.  This international organization works to guide AI development in ways that benefit humanity through encouraging safe AI development and implementation, raising awareness about responsible AI practices, and establishing and maintaining ethical standards for AI, among others.  A cybersecurity expert, she was the only Filipina nominated in the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year Awards in 2023, winning the Cybersecurity Woman Leader of the Year, and was also part of ASEAN’s Top 30 Women in Security in 2021 and Top 10 Women in CyberSecurity Philippines in 2020.

The success of these two outstanding Filipinas not only contribute in advancing the Philippines' position in the global AI community, but also creates pathways and inspiration for future Filipino AI professionals, helping to accelerate the country's progress in this critical field.  Their achievements are also a source of hope for the future of women in AI in the country.  I note that AI and data science expertise provides women with both social and economic advantages, while also giving them influence over how new technologies are developed and shaped.

However, it is important to realize that the achievements of Lamentillo and Col.Padilla-Taborlupa are exceptions rather than the norm in the Philippine context. It is a fact that women are still underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and a gender gap is present in the digital divide (Emil Miah B. Damian, Artificial Intelligence Diplomacy Studies Section, FSI-CIRSS Center for International and Strategic Studies.).

For those in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector, technology is essential as it provides, among others, a platform to offer products and services; serves as useful tools for day-to-day management and for marketing businesses; and allows women, especially new mothers taking care of infants, to work remotely. For information, 41.6% of small businesses in Australia are owned by women as of 2022, [1] while women-led MSMEs in the Philippines account for 53%.[2]

2025 Sub-Theme of the PH National Women’s Month Celebration

May I also inform everyone that March is significant  not only for the celebration of IWD, but also Philippine National Women’s Month.  The  theme of tonight’s event also supports the PNWM subtheme which is “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas (or Women in All Sectors to Progress in the New Philippines).”  This reflects the nation’s aspiration of attaining a progressive and equitable future for all women through the active participation and collaboration of the community, public, private, and non-government sectors. 

I also wish to highlight three significant milestones this year 2025 in the pursuit of gender equality and women empowerment, both in the Philippines and globally:

First, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Philippines’ signing of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This Convention defines discrimination against women and is known as the international bill of rights of women. It should be noted that the Philippines is credited for creating its first working draft through Dr. Leticia Ramos-Shahani, who was working as a diplomat at the Department of Foreign Affairs at the time.[3]

Second, this year is also the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).  PCW is the Philippine government agency leading the development of gender-responsive policies, and is tasked in monitoring and evaluating the gender mainstreaming programs of other government agencies in the Philippines; and

Third, 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), a progressive international agreement adopted in 1995 that lays out 12 critical areas of concern to advance women empowerment and gender equality, including (1) education and training of women; (2) women and health; (3) violence against women; and (4) women and the economy.

In addition, it has been three decades since the introduction of the Gender and Development (GAD) budget policy under the 1995 General Appropriations Act (RA 7845).  This year also marks the culmination of the 30-year Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD). 

2024 Global Gender Gap Index [4]

The Philippines is hailed as one of the countries that lead in the promotion of women empowerment and gender equality. If I may share, the Philippines hosted the three-day International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security in October 2024 that discussed international collaboration and progress on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda that aims to provide gender-responsive framework for conflict resolution.[5]

The Conference was organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in partnership with UN Women, the Philippines Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR), and was attended by over 800 participants from 84 countries and 130 organizations.

In addition to spearheading such initiatives, the Philippines is one of the first Asian nations to legally recognize women suffrage in 1937; we elected the first woman in the Senate in 1947 with the late Mrs. Geronima Pecson; and PH consistently scores high in the ranking of the Global Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum.

In the latest Index published in 2024, 146 countries were ranked according to four (4) indicators, which are: (i) Economic Participation and Opportunity, (ii) Educational Attainment, (iii) Health and Survival, and (iv) Political Empowerment.

The Philippines reached full parity in Educational Attainment particularly in literacy rate and enrollment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. The Philippines shares the top spot with 28 other countries, including New Zealand, Maldives, and Malaysia.

In Economic Participation and Opportunity, the Philippines is ranked 20th and one of the only two Asia Pacific countries in the top 20, following Singapore at 18^th. While there is full parity among professional and technical workers in the Philippines, more needs to be done in increasing the participation of women as legislators, senior officials, and managers, as well as wage equality for similar work.

Men still dominate politics in the Philippines. Of the elective positions, from president down to Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan councilor, 76.7% are held by men — 10,388 to be exact.  Meanwhile, elected women officials are at 23.3%, representing 3,170.

Most government personnel are women, at 1.09 million, compared to 883,612 male government personnel. There are also more women judges than men (1,172 W: 947M). At the DFA, women account for 60% of the workforce.   As for the top positions, of course we have a male SFA, and only two out  of five  Undersecretaries are women.   In the foreign service, the breakdown of male and female HOPs/Acting HOPs at 97 Posts (as of December 2024):  Male, 56 (58%), and Female, 41 (42%).

On the other hand, the country remains low in the Political Empowerment and Health and Survival indicators due to a decrease in women ministers and gap in the sex ratio at birth.

Overall, while the Philippines is still in the uppermost ranking of the Index, and scored first in SEA, it dropped nine (9) spots from 2023 and is placed at #25 owing to the reduction in economic parity and lower share of women ministers (Cabinet Secretaries) in the government. On the other hand, Australia is placed at 24, two places higher than its 2023 ranking.  

A more pressing issue, however, is the sluggish progress toward reaching full gender parity. The 2023 Index declared that 131 years would be needed to achieve this; however, given the 2024 data, it will take 134 years or until 2158 to attain parity.

Conclusion

Given this alarming concern, much work is needed from all sectors. We must not wait for another century to pass. Immediate action must be taken to translate policies, campaigns, and ideals into tangible outcomes.

I call on all Filipino-Australian community leaders in New South Wales to actively participate in discussions and forums that will support and promote inclusivity and gender equality. Let us continue to challenge gender biases and stereotypes and ensure that real change is felt by all women everywhere.

Happy International Women’s Day and Mabuhay!

Photo credit: Bob Reyes Photography.  Photos can be accessed here.   (You may download and use, but please don't crop or change, as a courtesy to our photographer. Thank you.)
Photo featuring Rado Gatchalian, Grace Liston and Grazie Panlican by Rado Gatchalian.