International Women’s Month is a reminder to celebrate women’s milestones and unparalleled value in today’s society. But it’s also a chance for global conversations about gender equality issues and other challenges women face in every aspect of their lives. During the “Embracing Equity: Stories of Championing Every One” two-panel discussion for women’s month hosted by Coca-Cola Philippines, several women leaders had the opportunity to lay down their insights.

Among those present during the forum are news anchor and athlete Gretchen Ho and Filipinas women’s national football team goalkeeper Inna Palacios. Both shed further light on women in sports and their goal to become role models for all women out there.

Filipinas’ historic win

In 2022, Filipinas, the Philippine women’s national football team, made history when they qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. At Coca-Cola Philippines’ forum for women’s month, Inna Palacios, the team’s goalkeeper, shared just how ecstatic the team was.

@8list.ph At the #CocaColaPH panel discussion on #EmbracingEquity, Philippine Women’s National Football team goalkeeper Inna Palacios recounts how they qualified for the FIFA WWC. #ThrivingTogether #footballph #sportsph ♬ kiss it better sped up – xxtristanxo

Palacios said that it was a decade in the making and a dream come true. She added that their accomplishment was the fruit of hard work and believing in what they as women could do. In a male-dominated sport, Filipinas showed that they can make an impact too.

The dream: Genderless sports

Palacios said it’s about time everyone changed their mindset about sports, a male-dominated industry.

“Sports is just sports. There’s no him and her, no female or male, it’s just always an athlete and a player and that’s how we should always look at it. That’s how we’re going to get equality and equal opportunity,” she said.

Asked about the challenges they face in sports, Palacios said that, admittedly, athletes in the Philippines have a tough time. According to her, kids interested in sports have two choices: Keep playing but don’t have the means to live the life they want, or quit their passion and make it through life.

Palacios wants more support for Pinoy athletes because she says they’re not “just playing and having fun.” Our athletes are also “fighting to grow the sport and that takes a lot of courage, vulnerability, and believing in themselves.”

Palacios adds that staying visible is essential for athletes like her, it’s how they gather support and, in turn, encourage kids to dream about their future.

“We need to stay visible because in that way we become attainable and reachable. And when that happens, you allow these little boys and little girls to dream. And they can dream towards something big and even be better than us,” she adds.

Embracing Equity

@8list.ph @gretchenho at the Coca-Cola #EmbraceEquity panel discussion. #ThrivingTogether #womeninsports #footballph #sportsph #fyp ♬ As It Was – Harry Styles

For her part, Gretchen Ho talked about the responsibility of journalists and storytellers in bridging the gender gap in sports.

She shared a story about how a curious friend asked her why she had to headline her Filipinas win article as “HERstory” instead of saying the team won and they happen to be women. It got Ho thinking about how highlighting the fact that the winners are women might be hurting people’s efforts to bridge the gender gap in sports.

However, she also added that seeing women in the headlines and conquering fields they usually don’t embolden her to do the same in life.

“But also, I want to be careful not to exclude the men. Let them celebrate also these stories. I guess the dream is we get to a point where we don’t even have to talk about gender,” she continues.

Shining a spotlight on women in sports

Ho also gave her two cents on how journalists can help support women in sports — through writing about them, their wins and their losses, and how they manage to work their way to the top.

She cited the NU Lady Bulldogs’ historic run in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament where they managed to get a 108-game winning streak since 2013. It ended when the DLSU Lady Archers beat them in 2022 but it was the longest UAAP streak since the Adamson Lady Falcons softball team’s 73 straight wins. And yet it seems as if few people are talking about it.

Ho agreed with Palacios that women in sports need all the visibility they can get. She even shared that her news anchor partner wants to do a documentary on the Filipinas’ football team for the world to get to know them better.

“We want to have as many eyeballs as we can,” said Ho during the forum. She also added that having a global brand like Coca-Cola recognize the girls’ achievements and support them is a huge step.

Also present during the forum is Antoinette Jadaone, filmmaker, producer, and podcaster, Mela Habijan, LGBTQIA+ advocate and Miss Trans Global 2022, Tina Boado, sociologist and co-founder of Queer Safe Spaces Philippines, Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Philippine Franchise Director, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific, and Dave Javellana, the Philippine Football Federation’s Grassroots Development Head.

How Coca-Cola is taking steps toward embracing equity in the workforce

The forum also put a spotlight on Coca-Cola and its commitment to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company and the community. Its comprehensive global strategy includes three long-term ambitions:

• Be 50% women-led globally by 2023;
• Review business, human rights, and employment policies and practices to eliminate bias and inequities, and
• Use the power of their brands to inspire and advocate for inclusion around the world

In the Philippines, de Lumen-Pernia, Philippine Franchise Director, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific, says that their focus is on women’s economic empowerment. Over a decade ago, they partnered with TESDA to train women sari-sari store owners and give them access to resources. She also shared that they’ve successfully trained 217k women so far.

Whether it’s shining a spotlight on women in sports, championing diversity and equality in male-dominated fields, or revolutionizing a company to celebrate uniqueness and create an inclusive environment, it’s encouraging to see corporations are doing their part to make sure we’re able to slowly but surely bridge gender gap.

To learn more about the efforts of Coca-Cola Philippines to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit the official website.

Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, to be the first to know about the latest news and coolest trends!