Cover Belo and Tatler Philippines organised a forum where women tackle about empowerment, glass ceilings, and more.
Belo and Tatler Philippines organised a forum where women tackle about empowerment, glass ceilings, and more.
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To celebrate women's month, Belo and Tatler gather inspiring women from different industries. In the forum titled 'What Matters Most' Dr Vicki Belo, Catriona Gray, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, and more talk about glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more
Every so often we ask ourselves whether or not modern society has done enough to provide spaces where women can truly practise activities that empowerment entails—an engaging conversation organised by Belo and Tatler Philippines tackled just that. In Women: What Matters Most, 11 of the country’s sought-after female trailblazers talk about what it truly means to withstand the daily challenges that women face every day.
In case you missed it: Stroke of success: Dr Vicki Belo on the Belo Medical Group's long-serving vision and innovative flair
In the following lines, Dr Vicki Belo, Chit Lijauco, Isabel Francisco, Irene Martel Francisco, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Bea Soriano-Dee, Catriona Gray, Risa Mananquil-Trillo, Margarita Forés, Abba Napa, and Stephanie Zubiri give their interesting takes on glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more.
On Glass Ceilings
Above Dr Vicki Belo, Chit Lijauco, Isabel Francisco, Irene Martel Francisco, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Bea Soriano-Dee, Catriona Gray, Risa Mananquil-Trillo, Margarita Forés, Abba Napa, and Stephanie Zubiri give their interesting takes on glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more.
Dr Vicki Belo, Chit Lijauco, Isabel Francisco, Irene Martel Francisco, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Bea Soriano-Dee, Catriona Gray, Risa Mananquil-Trillo, Margarita Forés, Abba Napa, and Stephanie Zubiri give their interesting takes on glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more.
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Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray begins the conversation by saying that a woman is in a constant battle against sexism. She asserts that every woman is expected to fulfil specific characters, disregarding the fact that they are free to choose among varying roles laid before them.
“I feel like everyone, from a different culture or country has a different perception of what a woman should look like, sound like, or what roles they should fulfil,” says Gray. “But I guess, as I get older, I learn that I can just go against that. I feel like there’s a perception that women carry so much more than a man does in terms of family building or bearing children…but are also expected to hold the same performative level as a man does. I think it’s an invitation for us to push for legislation that will allow us to thrive and not hold us to any criteria.”
Related: Catriona Gray On Becoming Miss Universe
Speaking from her own experience, Gray proceeds by saying that in the past, she encountered “glass ceilings” related to expectations constantly laid before the path of every woman in the modern age. “I think that as a beauty queen, I have had a lot of ‘glass ceilings’ put on me. It’s like ‘as a woman, you’re beautiful, but what else?’ people always want to see where else you’re good at— ‘are you a good speaker? Did you graduate with honours?’ it’s almost like you have to prove yourself all the time.”
Above Belo and Tatler Philippines organised a forum where women tackle about empowerment, glass ceilings, and more.
Above Belo and Tatler Philippines organised a forum where women tackle about empowerment, glass ceilings, and more.
Belo and Tatler Philippines organised a forum where women tackle about empowerment, glass ceilings, and more.
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The Moment Group co-founder and creative director, Abba Napa agrees with Gray; she adds, however, a more feminist take that equality must be applied to all sexes and not just women alone.
“Equality for the sexes should be for all genders. All genders have their respective glass ceilings after all,” Napa explains. “We [women] are a little more fortunate today because I think perspective has [somehow] progressed. Clearly, there is still a lot to be done, but we have become more progressive and roles have become more fluid,” she adds.
For Napa, the modern woman is more empowered to pursue things and work on spheres of their life that were not so pursuable in the past. “So I think it is wonderful to be a woman in that sense. In order for us to be equal, all genders have to be equal.”
Gender Fluidity
Above Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray
Above Dr Victoria G Belo
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray
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Above Bea Soriano-Dee
Above Risa Mananquil-Trillo
Bea Soriano-Dee
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Above Korina Sanchez-Roxas
Above Margarita Forés
Korina Sanchez-Roxas
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Veteran broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez, for her part, says that conversations pertaining to female empowerment and the goals women can reach have somehow developed. “The conversations are changing,” she claims.
“Everybody at this table is empowered so we do not have those glass ceilings. We reached wherever we wanted to reach. But I feel that is old, I feel that being a woman today is riding on the ‘crest of change,’ and that change is not so understandable since gender is evolving.”
Sanchez, who took a Gender Studies course at Ateneo de Manila University, reveals that at the end of the subject, her only takeaway was that “there is no such thing as gender.”
“You are who you act to be, who you choose to be, apart from the biological,” discloses Sanchez. “So in a nutshell, for me, a woman is human and equal to all. The opportunities and the limitations are mostly self-inflicted or self-imagined.”
More from Tatler: Korina Sanchez Roxas Contemplates On Becoming A New Mom
Stigma
Above Dr Vicki Belo, Chit Lijauco, Isabel Francisco, Irene Martel Francisco, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Bea Soriano-Dee, Catriona Gray, Risa Mananquil-Trillo, Margarita Forés, Abba Napa, and Stephanie Zubiri give their interesting takes on glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more.
Dr Vicki Belo, Chit Lijauco, Isabel Francisco, Irene Martel Francisco, Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Bea Soriano-Dee, Catriona Gray, Risa Mananquil-Trillo, Margarita Forés, Abba Napa, and Stephanie Zubiri give their interesting takes on glass ceilings, gender fluidity, and more.
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Among the many insightful topics discussed in the forum is stigma, or the sex-based biases put against women. Sunnies Studios co-founder Bea Soriano-Dee opens this with an experience from one of her meetings abroad. “In the Philippines, I can speak whatever I want, but when I go to a different country with my husband, the men will not speak to me,” she shares. “So there are still systemic biases around the world.”
Dr Vicki Belo, the founder, CEO, and medical director of Belo Medical, also discloses one of the few times she felt the unfair judgement against women.
“The thing that is painful is that whenever I have a boyfriend, I [want them to] be involved in my business because that is how I feel loved. So my ex-boyfriend was involved in my business and when we broke up, everybody was saying ‘he made her,’ mind you, at the time, I had already been practising for 10 years.”
“It was painful for me because I worked so hard and everyone was like ‘she is going to fail because he made her’. How can they do this to me? I studied for so long. It is always so easy for people to say that it is not the girl.”
Today, Belo reveals that the Belo clinic withstood the test of time and now employs 600 employees—500 of which are all females. “They occupy almost all the top positions, they are also breadwinners who can do so many things.”
Taking Care of One's Self
For Tatler Homes editor Stephanie Zubiri, beauty plays a factor in opening new doors and empowering people as a whole. “In the Philippines and Asia, the beauty factor plays a lot in sort of opening doors. Also being charming, talking to people,” she discloses. “So I think what’s important about feeling good about yourself is taking time to take care of yourself–and that can take any shape or form. It’s exercise, yoga, meditation, and sometimes treatments.”
Zubiri adds that modern women are a lot more accepting of others. “They want to empower and help each other out,” she stresses.
Gray gives her take on the matter by saying that “beauty is also a feeling.”
“A lot of things go into creating that feeling. Whether it be getting a fresh blowout or just having good skin. It can also contribute to your energy that day. I feel like if you have the right energy radiating from you, you feel confident.”
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Credits
Photography: Aru Nepomuceno
Production: Isabel Martel Francisco
