Empowering girls is investing in society

I grew up in a world that treated girls and women differently. I was called aggressive for merely speaking up. I was told to mask my intelligence so that boys would like me. And children were deemed impolite if they dare speak in a table full of adults.

A lot has changed since then. Yet, sometimes, it still feels like it has remained the same.

In 1909, the first Filipina doctor graduated in Pennsylvania. Filipino women were granted the right to vote in 1937. We have had two female presidents since then. Globally, women have achieved so much and societies have advanced with the help of women. “Yet, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19, and humanitarian conflict. Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, their physical and mental wellness, and the protections needed for a life without violence.”

This is why the International Day of the Girl is vital. “On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare Oct. 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

“The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.”

Every Oct. 11 is a call to action. A call for us to be the voice of the voiceless, to be enablers, supporters, champions of the rights of the girl child, to be mentors and role models. And the latter, I believe, might be a more accessible way to help, something easier to integrate in our daily lives.

Studies have shown that in the nature vs nurture debate, “nurture,” which refers to the environment that surrounds people, is responsible for building character. This is where we can make a significant difference in the lives of young girls. Girls need mentors and role models they can look up to and aspire to be, people they can get inspiration and advice from, people who can give them answers to their questions, people who can show them what possibilities and opportunities are out there. And sometimes, they need someone to challenge them and give them that extra push.

Studies have also shown that girls and women can benefit greatly from networking with peers. Men have shown evidence of this in traditionally male-only business organizations and industry associations. Women have had less time to congregate in such a manner given their other duties—household chores and caregiving to the family. However, establishing these networks will be very beneficial in a multitude of ways, like creating support groups, establishing possible business connections, and finding more people to help them realize their goals.

This is why it is important for women to seek out a community of women who share the same values and similar goals.

Last Sept. 1, I was fortunate enough to have been contacted by one such organization, the Philippine Women’s Economic Network. PhilWEN is a coalition of women’s business organizations representing women’s participation in various spheres and is the local focal point of the Asean Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN). I was informed that I had been nominated as one of 10 outstanding Filipina entrepreneurs to be awarded in the AWEN Awards 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was the opportunity to meet the other awardees that excited me the most.

Much is the same in the male-dominated world of coffee. Since I started Commune in 2013, I realized how difficult it was to find female baristas. This is why we decided to create events catering to women in coffee. In 2019, we had our first Women’s Latte Art Throwdown. We could hardly get anyone to sign up and after much prodding from male baristas, around 16 female baristas signed up. This year, we were able to have our second run and we were surprised to get double the sign-ups in less time. Even more amazing was that the caliber of latte art increased significantly.

We live in a world fraught with issues and challenges. It is a heavy cross to bear. But the good news is, we all have the ability to effect change. Every bit of effort we put into helping others, every bit of time we give to raising awareness and taking positive action, when we respond to the questions of girls, when we create opportunities for them, all our efforts no matter how small, add up to create positive change. Enable girls to speak and take up space, empower them to lead and reach for their dreams, encourage them to not just grab opportunities but make opportunities for themselves, support them in their quest to be the best versions of themselves. What you do toward a girl child now will have an exponential effect on our future. These girls will grow up into women who will become valuable members of society, heads of communities, innovators of the future, nurturers of future generations.

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Rosario Juan is chief extractor of coffee at Commune, serving 100 percent Philippine coffee since 2013; member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, and is the founder of the Coffee Home Brewers Community, now 57,000 members strong.

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Women Who Lead is an initiative of PhilWEN.