The #BotoNiJuana: Women as Policymakers event was a resoundinhg success in which its aim to be an avenue in discussing and assessing the significance of Filipino women’s involvement in Public Administration and Governance was powered by its amazing speakers, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Former Senator-Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, District Representative of Bukidnon Ma. Lourdes “Malou” Acosta-Alba, Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, a former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert, Ph Dr. Adéla Gjuričová, SPARK!’s Trustee – Ma. Aurora “Boots” Geotina-Garcia, and Moderator, Ana Margarita “Ginggay” Hontiveros-Malvar.
The #BotoNiJuanaBotoNgBayan is an initiative of Spark! Philippines in partnership with Galing Pook Foundation through the support of the Transition Promotion Program of Czech Embassy Manila which was created in preparation for the upcoming 2022 elections as well as to promote participation of more women in the political sphere.
It was designed to become a monthly plenary interactive discussion amongst speakers, moderator, and the online audience about various topics on women’s political participation. The initiative consisted of 3-part webinars entitled: (1) #BotoNiJuana: Wo/Men/Toring Women Leaders; (2) #BotoNiJuana: Women’s 18th Power; and (3) #BotoNiJuana: Women as Policymakers.
Amongst many things, the #BotoNiJuanaBotoNgBayan objectives primarily revolved around how important it is to build a society which supports women going into politics and making sure that we hold up to our responsibilities as a citizen by casting our vote. Women have an indispensable role in leadership therefore women’s political participation allows for a most enriching discussion with regard to policy-making and governance.
The #BotoNiJuanaBotoNgBayan aimed to target the general public, public and private sector officials, and civil society organizations so that there is an increased understanding of the role of women in policy and decision making processes.
The event commenced with one of SPARK!’s Trustee, Ms. Garcia, delivering the opening remarks as she associated the holiday with the heroines that should never be forgotten, “There are countless women throughout our history whose names and deeds may not be known to many. They have dedicated their lives to break glass ceilings, break stereotypes, lead changes across sectors of the Philippines, and ultimately push the women’s agenda and have paved the way for other women and girls to follow in their footsteps and become future leaders” and ending her speech with her acknowledging that she believes everyone are the new generation of heroes.
Immediately after was the keynote speaker, Ambassador Delia Albert, who shared a meaningful and inspiration insight of her experiences as a woman diplomat and one of two who initiated the draft for what became known today as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women popularly known by the acronym CEDAW.
Moderator, Ana Margarita “Ginggay” Hontiveros-Malvar, then introduced the speakers who would then contribute to the panel discussion, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, PhDr. Adéla Gjuričová, Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, and Bukidnon District Representative Maria Lourdes “Malou” Acosta-Alba.
During the panel discussion, PhDr. Adéla Gjuričová was not with the other panelists, but Ms. Ginggay asked: “…She [PhDr. Adéla Gjuričová] did mention earlier, one of the learnings that they had coming from the Czech Communist regime was the contradiction that you can have representation [for women] or the numbers. But you don’t have any influence as a woman policymaker; do you feel that it is
true here in the Philippines?” and a remarkable response came from District Representative Malou quote, “I take note of the fact that it’s not just voting for a woman or putting a woman in a position of influence and power, and we’ve made it… We must vote [for] a woman because of our womanhood, our values, [and because] she gives importance and values where she sees the connectivity of the last, the least, and the lost—where she sees the connectivity of nurture and nature. Nurture is woman, and nature is environment and climate—they are inextricably linked; which brings me [to the] the answer to your question: the number of women legislators, [or] local women chief executives, while we would favor more in terms of numbers, it does not mean that our voices cannot be heard. It does not mean our policies are no good or will not see fruition.”
Aside from the BotoNiJuanaBotoNgBayan initiative was created to become an arena for women in politics to promote participation of more women in the political sphere, but it was also in preparation for the upcoming 2022 elections which then makes Mayor Joy’s message come across an extraordinary point to its audience, “Half of the population, roughly, are women, so if we don’t elect at least 30% then we miss out on a whole bunch of experiences, on a whole lot of knowledge, a whole lot of insights that can benefit nation-building. So men and women are wired differently and if you just concentrate on electing men then you miss out on half of that input that can go towards development in our country.”
Therefore Deputy Speaker Loren’s powerful ending for her speech was worth taking note of, “We must also hope for women because of their womanhood. We must vote for individuals who see clearly, who value the invisible and uphold nature and humankind. We must vote for values [of] integrity, consistency, and a nurturing spirit. And [once we] do, we will eventually see a political system where even the men count on their feminine side when making hard decisions.”
To conclude the event, Vice President Leni Robredo delivered the program’s closing statement in which she related it to the crisis that the world is facing, “In a crisis, the best leaders are beacons of strength, direction, and hope. This is why the leaders we choose matter. As the pandemic has shown, those who decide for us, those who make the highest, most impactful choices, hold and very start terms the power of life and death over our countrymen.”
The #BotoNiJuana: Women as Policymakers was broadcasted at the SPARK! Philippines’ Facebook Page last August 30, 2021 just in time to celebrate the National Heroes Day wherein the event acclaimed and honored women and their roles not just in society, but also in nation-building.