PRESS RELEASE
SFPCG-PR-100-2021
FWN’S MOST INFLUENTIAL FILIPINA AWARDEES URGED TO EMPOWER FELLOW FILIPINO WOMEN
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA – As San Francisco slowly returns to normalcy with the resumption of social events in the city, the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) held its 17th Filipina Leadership Global Summit and 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Global FWN100) Awards on 29 September 2021 at the University Club of San Francisco.
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer and Mrs. Miriam M. Ferrer graced the FWN summit as guests of honor, along with Filipino-American California Attorney General Robert Bonta. They were joined by FWN Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marily Mondejar.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer congratulated the FWN on the successful staging of its Filipina Leadership Global Summit, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also lauded the Global FWN100 Awards for their achievements in their respective fields.
“The stories of our Global FWN100 awardees—who are leaders, visionaries, innovators, disruptors, and changemakers in business and government—will surely inspire other Filipino women to break the glass ceiling, and make their own mark in their chosen career paths,” Consul General Ferrer said.
Consul General Ferrer also cited the Philippines’ achievements in passing progressive laws for women, including the Magna Carta of Women of 2009, and in closing the gender gap between women and men in education and health, as reflected in the country’s high scores in the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Gender Gap Report and the United Nations’ 2019 Gender Development Index.
Amid the challenges of ensuring an equitable and safe environment for Filipino women, the Philippine Consul General urged the FWN and the Global FWN100 awardees “to continue disrupting the status quo” towards a future where there are more political and socioeconomic opportunities for Filipino women.
“The work of the FWN to expand economic access for fellow Filipinas, develop the next generation of Filipina leaders, and eliminate discrimination and violence against Filipino women and girls, has become more relevant,” Consul General Ferrer said.
The Philippine Consul General assured FWN of the Consulate’s support to its mission of empowering Filipino women in the diaspora, and uplifting the economic and social conditions of fellow Overseas Filipinas.
This year’s Global FWN100 awardees hail from a diverse set of sectors, which include business, the creative industries, education, financial services, government, health, social work, and technology. During her speech, FWN CEO Mondejar said that the Global FWN100 Award is “a working award,” urging the 2021 awardees to “give back, pay back, and move forward” for the next generation of Filipina leaders.
FWN is a San Francisco-based non-profit professional association established in 2001, with a mission to position a Filipina leader in every sector of the global economy. It convenes programs and activities that enhance public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead, and build the Filipina community’s network of leaders. END
