Successful women should help struggling women — Poe

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino women who are trailblazers in their respective fields should create more opportunities that will help marginalized and struggling women succeed, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Speaking at the #Women2020 Summit, an event organized on Thursday by non-profit organization Spark! Philippines to mark International Women’s Day, Sen. Grace Poe said the presence of “poster girls” in government and other industries is not reflective of the true state of Filipino women.

She appealed to women leaders, foreign dignitaries and other guests at the event to further empower women.

“It is incumbent on those of us who have succeeded in our careers to help pave the way for others to follow. We have to hang together or we hang separately, so let us help each other,” she said.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has also reminded government agencies to observe laws and other measures that promote the welfare of women in their workplace. 

“As the nation celebrates Women’s Month this March, the Civil Service Commission urged government agencies to consider the unique needs of women in the workplace,” the CSC said in a press statement.

The CSC noted that more women are now engaged in professional work, even if their domestic roles remain prominent.

Meanwhile, women teachers called for a salary increase for public school teachers. Led by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, the women teachers held a human formation and danced to the song “One Billion Rising.”