WOMEN EMPOWERMENT | UP Law Dean shares ways to empower women in the workplace

March 13, 2024 , 07:46 PM

By Von Belinario

The fight for women empowerment and gender equality in the Philippines continues as women break the barriers to hear their voices in the work force.

Challenges in the labor forces are still rampant especially for women. According to the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, data on labor force participation rate or LFPR by sex since 2008 show that the LFPR of women was consistently lower than men. In its 2020 report, only 34.5 percent of women participated in the labor force, compared to 54.8 percent of its male counterpart.

This year’s International Women’s Month has the theme “Inspire Inclusion,” aims to inspire people to value and understand women’s inclusion.

In celebration of Women’s Month, international company P&G hosted its 2024 Women’s Symposium with the theme “#RisingTogether: EmpowHER the Workplace and Beyond.” They invited University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Dean Atty. Darlene “Lelen” Berberabe to share her inspiring stories and tips to empower more women in the workplace.

Atty. Berberabe pointed out the importance of knowing what you can do and be assertive when it comes to your skills and knowledge. She shared her experience when she applied as an instructor at the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy of UP Diliman where she graduated summa cum laude and class valedictorian in 1989. “Everyone was telling me that no female can be accepted at the Philosophy Department. Despite that, I applied,” she recalled. She asked tips on male instructors on how they got in the position. A lot of them told her that they were invited. That was not a case for Berberabe. “I had a series of interview and they asked me to have a demo lecture, fine, I did all that and finally they accepted me.”

She was the first female Philosophy instructor in that school where she taught for 10 years, and has a Masters in Philosophy and then she was the class salutatorian in Bachelor of Law at the UP College of Law in 1999.

Atty. Berberabe is a successful female leader in the sectors of private companies, government, and the academe. She is well-known for being a CEO of PAG-IBIG Fund in 2010 to 2017.

In the symposium, she shared valuable insights for women workers. “I was told many times that I ‘cannot’ and ‘should not.’ But each time I stepped up and took the lead, it made me what I am today: happy, inspired, and paying it forward,” she said.

She then emphasized several points on how women can empower themselves. First is to be aware of the value of taking a leap. Secondly, exercise regularly so that you can build stamina, and lastly, continue to improve yourself.

The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 aims to increase the participation of women in the labor force from 51.7 percent in 2022 to 52-54 percent in 2028. This will be done by providing them more economic opportunities and addressing the gender bias and gender stereotypes associated with women, according to an article published by the National Economic Development Authority or NEDA.

In an interview with News5 after the symposium, Atty. Berberabe stressed the importance of having continues talks and company events showcasing and highlighting the role of every woman in the organization. “Saying it, expressing it confirms and strengthens company to do certain things and be a reminder that every time there is a bias that we have to work against, be aware of, and we have to really exert effort to remove that bias,” she said.

It’s a long struggle but awareness is a big step towards addressing gender issues in the workplace.

“If we continue this conversation, so the leadership is always reminded of what our values are. Multiply that or expand that to the national, so that any leader in an organization has to continue that conversation, has to be aware of those issues, what are the values that they should guide their organizations with,” Berberabe stressed.

“I think just being aware is the first step and they (leaders) will always be on their toes to respect the values (of women),” she emphasized.

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