Women’s month in the Philippines is celebrated every year in the month of March. Since 1988, Filipinos have dedicated the entire month to celebrating the country’s women and raising awareness about the challenges and issues women face daily like sexism, bullying, inequality and gender bias, among others.

This 2023, we focus on the main aspect of women’s development: Education.

Education is the greatest leveler for opening the doors of opportunities for women in the global stage. The platform of innovation and critical thinking will develop and manifest their big leap to a bigger world of business, organization development and networking amongst communities and the global arena.

Education will encourage women to be innovative leaders of start-ups to become leaders in the fields of environment, ecosystems, capital ventures and the like.

Education shall be in the forefront of this endeavor to encourage women and girls to rise up, equip themselves mentally and spiritually and be ready to enter the highly competitive labor market. Education will allow women and girls to explore their greatest potential as human beings, bring out their strength and resilience to enable them to identify their value as big support of business, families, the male citizenry and the communities.

Education is key for their growth, to discover all their potential so they may express their thoughts, ideas, priorities and needs even acknowledging their fears and insecurities.

Mental, spiritual and emotional well-being of women and girls need to be addressed in the home, the schools, the communities in order that they may rise up to achieve their highest goals and vision for themselves.

Education will allow the return of the Socratic method of encouraging girls and women to develop their opinions, speak in public, act on and imagine their future. The schools should help the students develop critical thinking and express their creative views with confidence and personality.

Their connection with local organizations, involvement, planning and leading of activities and projects will offer them great opportunities and expression of their creative talent and interaction with others.

Engaging with key persons and leaders will allow women and girls to be exposed to the right environment where they will be able to soak up and learn from the best and the brightest. Their creativity will be developed, their analytical thinking will be challenged, their problem-solving skills and collaborative values will be honed allowing women and girls to prepare them for their role in various platforms in business and civil society.

The hand that rocks the cradle of the world and holds half of the sky have reason to celebrate their humanity and innate strength to become a great force for good and development in their communities and the nation.