Women We Admire
Women are exceptional, and their power and influence are growing. Women can do anything; make history, build empires, bring forth social changes, and fight for rights. Women are leaders in nature – leaders capable of making significant differences in their societies.
From social influencers to body positivity and gender equality advocates, here are inspiring modern women who aren't afraid to embrace their professions and promote equality and women empowerment.
HIDILYN DIAZ
Hidilyn Diaz, a weightlifting champion, has shown that no amount of weight can bring a woman down. Diaz is the very first Filipino athlete to compete in four Olympic Games in a row. Diaz won gold at the Southeast Asian Games in 2019 before making history at the Tokyo Olympics. Aside from being a gold medalist, in 2013, she enlisted in the Philippine Air Force (PAF) under the direct enlistment process.
She speaks on women being subjected to limitations:
“Dino-draw tayo ng line. Ito hanggang dito ka lang pero parati kong ginagawa ay bine-break ko ‘yun… ‘yang line na ‘yan at sinasabi ko na hindi, you cannot dictate kung ano ang gusto naming gawin. You cannot say na ito ang gagawin ‘nyo.”
CATRIONA GRAY
Filipinos are delighted and proud of Catriona Gray's Miss Universe 2018 victory. The world has gone wild over her slow-mo and lava walk. Catriona Gray has been a motivation for many, and she continues to work on several projects, including LGBT rights and social awareness.
“It means allowing them to lift each other and to do whatever they want to do as long as it’s respectful and considerate of others, that’s what feminism is to me. It’s not about being better than men. It’s not about being radical. It’s just about having women’s rights as human rights and it being equal.”