Griselda Gay Gloria-Santos l April 14, 2023 l The Manila Times
I WAS part of the generation that rallied through the streets of EDSA that changed the political landscape with the first female president in the Philippines. Yes, that may have broken the glass ceiling then for Filipinas in the Philippines but not for Filipinas overseas, particularly in the United States.
I married at a young age. I started my journey at a leading international organization in 1992. I studied in De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila where I completed more than two years of law. With the raw experience I have and the need to get my foot in, I started as an administrative temporary staff. Fast-forward in 2019, I retired as a senior financial sector specialist, seven grades higher from where I started over 25 years of service.
I am always grateful for the values, advocacy and experience I gained through the years. However, it was not at all an easy journey as it was a very competitive environment. Constantly had to find myself doubling my effort to progress in my career. Schools like La Salle and Ateneo then are not known schools outside the Philippines. Masteral degrees and PhDs are the norm. I looked young for my age then, petite, and that worked against me. There was an instance when I requested to be considered for promotion and was told that a male colleague is being considered, too, and that I should not rush because I was still young. I told my manager I am older than my male colleague and hope that we will be both considered. The saddest part is hearing it from a woman who would say that I am ambitious (in a negative tone) when I requested for a promotion.
Of course, that is at work, coming home raising a child and balancing that role as a wife is a different set of challenges. I am sure all women here had their share of challenges. Looking back, we do what we do because we are motivated by the love and hope for the family. All these made me who I am, a better woman from years back, and will continue to be work in progress.
As you may know, despite the increased awareness and concrete actions taken to address the gender inequality or gap, there is still much that can be done. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2022, the global gender gap has been closed by 68.1 percent. At the current rate of progress, it will take 132 years to reach full parity.
There is still much that can be done to empower women. To do so, we need to understand and address the challenges women face. These challenges include access to finance and financial products. Much has been done by both the government and private sector. Sadly, much of the gains in financial inclusion were offset by the challenges caused by the pandemic. We need to sustain the effort by making financial products accessible and more affordable through sachet approach, among others.
Another area of challenge for women is access to technology. There is a high percentage of women owning mobile phones globally. Government and private companies should continue to bring products and services through most used technology, including mobile phones, to scale and reach more women.
In the Philippines, we have strong laws that protect women like the Magna Carta of Women, which seeks to promote women’s rights and the Family Code. Unfortunately, this is not the case for a number of countries. In the worst cases, women are not even allowed to own real property. According to an OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) study, globally, women spend more hours than men performing domestic chores. Such constraints can result in less time for women to engage in small business or employment.
Yearly in March, the world celebrates W2, International Women’s Month and World Water Day. There is a clear intersection between women empowerment and water. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, with billions of people still lacking access to safe water, 200 million hours are spent globally by women daily to collect water. These women do not have a chance to become productive members of society. Their families cannot break the cycle of poverty. As simple as going back to the basics — focusing on a basic human need like water can empower women. Public and private sector should continue to work together to provide sustainable access to safe water especially for those at the base of the pyramid.
Women are critical drivers of the economy. You open an opportunity for one woman, you open up the opportunity for the rest of her family. In the Philippine culture, women are described as “ilaw (light) ng tahanan,” the guiding light of the family. In these challenging times, women can be that guiding light to lead each family toward sustainable recovery and inclusive growth.
*** Gay Santos is the regional director for Southeast Asia at Water.org, a global NGO co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. She holds an MBA degree from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. The opinion expressed herein does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions, Water.org and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.