No Glass Ceiling for Women in PH Government, Other Sectors – PH Envoy in Vienna

Ambassador Evangelina A. Bernas, Philippine Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, participates as a panelist at the informal Ambassadorial Breakfast hosted by the UNOV/UNODC Gender Team, together with the Permanent Missions of Norway and Kenya, to Commemorate the International Women’s Day and the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action held at the Vienna International Center on 07 March 2025 (Photo credit: UNOV/UNODC Gender Team) 

VIENNA 27 March 2025 – There is no glass ceiling for women in the Philippine government and other sectors, stated Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative Evangelina A. Bernas, speaking at the Vienna International Center on 07 March 2025 during the Ambassadorial Breakfast to commemorate International Women’s Day 

“While there are challenges within the structure, there is no glass ceiling in the Philippines for women, and we have women leaders across all industries, whether in government, private sector, or the smallest micro-enterprise,” the Philippine envoy said. 

The breakfast was co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Norway and Kenya as Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in UNOV/UNODC to commemorate the International Women’s Day and the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. 

Sharing her reflections on 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and women empowerment in Philippine diplomacy, Ambassador Bernas highlighted the important contributions of Filipino women leaders, including Dr. Patricia Licuanan who served as the Main Committee Chair of the Fourth World Conference on Women which adopted the declaration. 

Ambassador Bernas also mentioned the strong presence of women in the Philippine judiciary. “Our Supreme Court is proud to announce that 56% of sitting judges in trial courts and 77% of justices in the court of tax appeals are women, and two women out of 14 associate justices in the highest court of the land,” the Ambassador said. END

From left to right: Philippine Ambassador Evangelina A. Bernas, British Ambassador Corinne Kitsell, Norwegian Ambassador Susan Eckey, Mexican José Antonio Zabalgoitia Trejo, and Burkinabé Ambassador Maimounata Ouattara. (Photo credit: UNOV/UNODC Gender Team) 

From left to right: Ambassador Susan Eckey, Permanent Mission of Norway in Vienna, UNOV/UNODC Director-General/Executive Director Ghada Waly, and Deputy Permanent Representative Valerie Wanjiku Rugene, Permanent Mission of Kenya in Vienna. (Photo credit: UNOV/UNODC Gender Team) 

UNOV/UNODC Director-General/Executive Director Ghada Waly with participants from the members of the Group of Friends for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in UNOV/UNODC. (Photo credit: UNOV/UNODC Gender Team) 

For more information, visit https://www.viennape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.at or https://www.facebook.com/PHinAustria, or https://www.instagram.com/phinaustria/.