PH Ambassador to Portugal Participates in the Femina Summit 2023 Women of Power and Future, Organized by Matriz Portuguesa to celebrate International Women's Day 

LISBON 17 March 2023 – In celebration of International Women’s Day, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria participated as one of the guest speakers at the Femina Summit 2023 Women of Power and Future on 8 March 2023 held at the Biblioteca Palácio Galveias. 

Ambassador Feria joined a panel of esteemed women diplomats in Portugal, which included Finnish Ambassador Satu Suikkari-Kleven who is also the current President of the Association of Women Ambassadors in Lisbon, Swedish Ambassador Elisabeth Eklund and Cuban Ambassador Yusmari Díaz Pérez, to discuss the topic of Mulheres na Diplomacia (Women in Diplomacy). They were asked to share with the audience their first-hand experiences as women diplomats including the challenges they may have faced working in a male dominated field, as well as the critical role women in general play in society.

Ambassador Feria spoke about the Philippines' rich history of women's leadership, starting from the female babaylans in the pre-colonial Philippines who were the spiritual leaders of "barangays" (villages), to today's laws and institutions that support the role of women in society. Ambassador Feria also mentioned that the Philippines is essentially a feminist country and has a proud tradition of women in diplomacy, including a Filipina diplomat who initiated in 1973 the draft Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 

In her closing remarks, Ambassador Feria underscored the vital role of men in achieving, promoting and participating in gender equality and women empowerment initiatives in today’s society.  She emphasized the need to encourage and engage more men to challenge prevailing traditional norms and behaviors towards women, and to make men allies and advocates for women empowerment.

The Femina Summit 2023 Women of Power and Future, organized by Matriz Portuguesa, a Lisbon based cultural organization with support from the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, aims to promote the empowerment and leadership of women. END