Remarks
by
ENRIQUE A. MANALO
Secretary for Foreign Affairs
FSI Mabini Dialogue “Diplomacy and Women Empowerment”
30 March 2023, 9:00 A.M., Carlos P. Romulo Library, DFA
Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson of the United States, Ambassador Juha Pyykkö of Finland,
Ambassador Ma. Teresita Daza, DFA Spokesperson and Director-General of the Foreign Service Institute,
Distinguished guests, friends from the academe, colleagues, Good morning.
By virtue of a Presidential Proclamation issued in 1988, the month of March in the Philippines was declared as “Women’s Role in History Month” and eventually, “National Women’s Month”. This Proclamation, enacted by President Corazon Aquino— the Philippines’ first lady President — recognizes the vital role and contributions of Filipino women in social, cultural, economic, and political development throughout our country’s history.
In my career at the Department of Foreign Affairs, I have been both privileged and proud having served alongside women diplomats – women who have shattered patriarchal and cultural biases, overcome many multiple burdens, and made the world rethink arbitrary gender roles with their capabilities, professionalism and dedication. They have been my mentors, trusted confidants, strategists, and friends.
The Philippines’ footprint in advancing women’s rights in the international arena is rooted in our heritage, in our gender-equal pre-colonial societies, as the first Asian Republic won by both men and women revolutionaries, and one of the first Asian nations to legally recognize women’s right to vote in 1937. A DFA exhibit this month features Geronima Pecson, the first woman to be elected to the Senate in 1947 and the first Filipino and first woman to serve in the UNESCO Executive Board from 1950 to 1954.
The Philippines was the moving force for the negotiation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which was signed in 1979. It has been my generation’s great fortune to work with the women diplomats who were the framers of this very important human rights instrument, which continues to hold every state to the highest standards of protecting and promoting the rights of all women worldwide. I personally have the fortune of having been raised by one of the framers of CEDAW, Rosario G. Manalo, who is now serving her 5th term as expert in the UN CEDAW Committee, and also one of the hands that shepherded the ASEAN negotiations that established the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in 2009 (or 40 years after CEDAW was adopted).
Gender equality remains an unfinished business everywhere and the Philippines will continue to be among the most faithful and staunchest of its advocates.
Our gender agenda is firmly embedded in our national DNA and a distinct feature of our soft power as an Asian country. We are proud of our consistent ranking as the Asian leader in the Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum.
As an institution, the Department of Foreign Affairs fosters an enabling environment for our women diplomats to thrive through its Gender and Development (GAD) Programs. With the recent adoption and signing of the Department’s GAD Agenda for 2023-2028 this month, the DFA reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to build a more resilient, responsive, and inclusive foreign service, where women and men equally contribute to and benefit from the achievement of development goals.
The GAD Agenda serves as DFA’s strategic framework, and one of its goals is to continue to address gender gaps within the organization. Currently, women comprise 58% of the Philippine foreign service across all levels, and 42% of our Heads of diplomatic and consular missions across the globe are women.
These are the same women who have broken stereotypes; strengthened international relations; negotiated peace; and have become role models for younger generations. They are paving the way and empowering future women diplomats to answer the call of service to the nation.
The GAD Agenda also guides the DFA in supporting national efforts towards the promotion and protection of women’s rights and attainment of gender equality. In this year’s celebration of National Women’s Month, various offices and organizations within the Department spearheaded awareness-raising and cultural events, such as:
- A public forum on “Understanding the Hijab”, organized by the Department Legislative Liaison Unit (DLLU) in cooperation with the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (OPCD), the Office for Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA) and the DFA Muslim Personnel Association;
- A poetry reading entitled, “Legacy and Statement: Weaving Stanzas, Weaves in Stanzas” by the OPCD, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, and the Provincial government of Pangasinan;
- An art exhibit by the DFA Ladies Foundation; and
- Fellowship and wellness activities by the ASEAN Ladies Foundation, the consular offices in the Philippines, and Foreign Service Posts.
It is thus fitting that as this month comes to a close, the Foreign Service Institute, in partnership with the US Embassy in Manila, has dedicated this edition of the Mabini Dialogue to “Diplomacy and Women Empowerment”. It is a welcome opportunity to discuss women’s role in diplomacy, their contributions and the challenges they continue to face, as well as the role of men in supporting their women counterparts.
Thank you and I wish you a fruitful Dialogue.