FILIPINO COMMUNITY TO HOLD EVENTS TO CELEBRATE EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION DURING WOMEN’S MONTH

Press Release No. - 07 - 2021

(26 February 2021) – Every 8th of March, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness about gender issues, and galvanize action in achieving gender equality and inclusion. With movements like #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, #TimesUp, more stakeholders are challenging gender and racial stereotypes and inequality, recognizing that there exists intersectionality on issues such as race, class, and gender. While strides have been made in fostering a more inclusive world, more work is needed to ensure that gender remains firmly on the agenda of governments, boardrooms, schools, and other institutions.

In support of the movement to achieve gender equality, diversity and inclusion, the Filipino community in Hawaii, spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, will organize a series of online activities in commemoration of the International Women’s Day and Women’s Month in March.

For the whole month of March, the Consulate will feature in its social media Filipino women who #ChosetoChallenge gender stereotypes, distinguished themselves in their field, and advanced women’s agenda. Meanwhile, the Hawai’i Filipino Chronicle, one of the local Filipino publications, will run a month-long feature about “Outstanding Filipinas”.

To highlight the various roles women play in the process of food-making, the Hawaii-Philippines Business Economic Council (HPBEC) will hold an online panel discussion entitled, “Politics of Food: From Production to Consumption” on March 4 at 4:00-5:30 PM featuring Filipino women who can rightfully claim they have broken glass ceilings in the food industry.

Recognizing the varied experiences of Filipinas in different parts of the world as they grapple with issues related to race, class, and gender, the Filipino Association of University Women (FAUW) will host a literary reading and panel discussion entitled, “Pinay in Diaspora: Rediscovering Filipino Cultural Values” on March 6 at 1:00-2:30 PM.

During International Women’s Day on March 8 from 6:00-8:00 PM, the Filcom Center, Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawai’i (FCCH) and HPBEC will host a “Kinabukasan #ChoosetoChallenge Panel”, where select male members of FCCH will interview Filipina fellows about gender issues (i.e. pay gaps, discrimination, harassment, patriarchal culture) and the role men can play to support women in their career and advance gender equality.

As individuals of all ages can play a role in forging inclusivity and gender equality, the Consulate, the Communication Department of the Chaminade University, and the Filipino Junior Chamber (FJC) will hold an “#ChoosetoChallenge Ideathon”, a three (3) week-long event where students can come together to discuss gender-related issues in their school or workplace and propose solutions to address a specific issue they chose. The event is open to all students and communities regardless of gender. Orientation will take place on March 11 at 5:00 PM. Groups will be asked to present their proposed solution to a group of judges on March 31 at 5:00 PM.

Meanwhile, the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) will feature a panel discussion on March 18 at 5:00-6:00 PM on “Filipino-American Women in the Armed Forces”, highlighting the achievements of women of color in a male-dominated field.

From March 19-21, Pinay Powerhouse will be hosting “Pinay Powerhouse IV”, a conference focused on empowering Filipina attorneys and aspiring attorneys as leaders in the law.

To shed light on the gender issues faced by teachers and students and the intersectionality of race and gender in the academe, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii (UPAAH) will organize “Women and Leadership in Higher Education” on March 20 from 4:00-5:00 PM.

Women’s participation in government and right to vote were issues that sparked the Feminist movement and continues to be an important issue at present. The Philippine Consulate, together with FJC, will host a conversation on March 23 from 5:30-6:30 PM with “Women in Government” to discuss how to increase women representation in politics, especially women of color, and how to advance a feminist agenda especially with the pandemic intensifying the challenges faced by working mothers and victims of gender-based violence and trafficking.

Gender stereotypes also exist in marketing certain products. Kasama Rum, which was developed by a Filipina, presents the idea that rum can be for everyone in its product marketing and packaging. Together with the Philippine Consulate and CIH Events, the company will host a “Kasama Rum Tasting” and conversations around challenging persisting stereotypes in business and marketing on March 27 from 6:00-7:00 PM.

To wrap up the celebration of Women’s Month, the University of Hawaii Center for Philippine Studies and the Knights of Rizal-Aloha Chapter will host an hour-long musical feature in the evening of March 31 from 7:00-8:00 PM called “Himig ng Filipina”, streaming Original Filipino Music (OPM) sung by Filipinas in Hawai’i.

“By hosting a series of events featuring Filipino women, we hope that more people will have a better appreciation of the varied experiences of women, especially women of color. Our community needs to act in solidarity to ensure that the progress made in terms of the gender equality agenda continues, especially with the pandemic magnifying some of the persisting gender issues,” notes Philippine Consul General Joselito Jimeno.

Links to register for the Women’s Month events are available at the website of the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu (honolulupcg.dfa.gov.ph).

Politics of Food: From Production to Consumption on 4 March 2021 from 4:00-5:30 PM

Register: http://bit.ly/3qUgLOp

Literary Reading and Panel Discussion, Pinay in Diaspora: Rediscovering Filipino Cultural Values” on March 6 at 1:00-2:30 PM

Register: http://bit.ly/3uMB4jg

Kinabukasan #ChoosetoChallenge Panel on March 8 from 6:00-8:00 PM

#ChoosetoChallenge Ideathon Orientation on March 11 at 5:00-6:30 PM at 5:00-7:00 PM

Filipino-American Women in the Armed Forces on March 18 at 5:00-6:00 PM

Pinay Powerhouse IV on March 19-21

Women and Leadership in Higher Education on March 20 from 4:00-5:00 PM

Women in Government on March 23 from 5:30-6:30 PM

Kasama Rum Tasting on March 27 from 6:00-7:00 PM

Himig ng Filipina on March 31 from 8:00-9:00 PM

#ChoosetoChallenge Ideathon Demo Day on March 31 at 5:00-7:00 PM

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FILIPINO COMMUNITY TO HOLD EVENTS TO CELEBRATE EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION DURING WOMEN’S MONTH

Press Release No. - 07 - 2021