WomenDeliver.Org honors two Filipinas

The recent news of the catastrophe has left me yearning for positive stories from any source possible if only to lift my sagging spirits... It's Monday morning and I need a happy boost to jumpstart my week. Turning on the TV, I was greeted by the early morning news about two Filipinas making it to the list of 100 people being honored by womendeliver.org, a New York based organization which aims at promoting women and children's welfare all over the world.


Their website describes their organization as follows: 

Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization bringing together voices from around the world to call for action against maternal death.

Launched at a groundbreaking conference in 2007, Women Deliver works globally to generate political commitment and financial investment for fulfilling Millennium Development Goal #5 — to reduce maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health. The initiative builds on commitments, partnerships, and networks mobilized at the conference, fighting to end the deluge of preventable deaths that kill approximately 350,000 girls and women from pregnancy-related causes every year. Women Deliver’s message is that maternal health is both a human right and a practical necessity for sustainable development.

Mission: Women Deliver shall promote and advance the health of girls, women and mothers as a core element of the global development agenda, serve as a global source of information for advocacy and action, develop and disseminate messages, tools, solutions, and advocacy resources to support a broad community of stakeholders through meetings and conferences globally, regionally, and nationally, and through a dynamic and interactive web presence.

Thus, "..In celebration of the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Women Deliver is announcing the “Women Deliver 100,” our list of the hundred most inspiring people who have delivered for girls and women. This list recognizes women and men, both prominent and lesser known, who have committed themselves to improving the lives of girls and women around the world. Honorees derive from the fields of health, human rights, politics, economics, education, journalism, and philanthropy, and represent a great diversity of geographic and cultural backgrounds. The 100 honorees were selected from among hundreds of potentials and feature some of the most intrepid, committed, and results-driven people in the world."

 So among the 100 people included the list are two Filipinas namely:


Janette Loreto Garin, Philippines
Deputy Majority Leader in the Philippine House of Representatives
•  Championing reproductive rights in the Philippines

She was cited for her active advocacy on the issue of Reproductive rights.  Rep. Garin is the co-author of the Reproductive Health Care and Population Development (RH) bill, which is poised to transform the lives of every woman in the Philippines. In this deeply Catholic country, where opposition to family planning and sex education runs strong, and 11 women die each day of preventable causes related to pregnancy or childbirth, Garin’s RH bill would, for the first time, provide universal access to family planning methods as well as comprehensive sex education in schools. A champion of women’s human rights, Garin is fighting to bring both women and men the information and services they need to live long, healthy lives.

and 


Mary John Mananzan, Philippines
Prioress at St. Scholastica’s Priory, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Women’s Studies at St. Scholastica’s College
•  Integrating feminism into faith in the Philippines
Madam Mananzan was recognized for her work in undertaking women's studies and gender equality.  As a Missionary Benedictine sister, Mananzan has led the way in integrating feminist activism into Catholic faith. She was a pioneer in the field of women’s studies, founding the program at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, one of the Phillippines’ most prestigious and progressive colleges for women. She has been instrumental in developing a feminist and a third-world theology within the Catholic Church, criticizing the Church for being hierarchical and male-dominated. In her writing, she has highlighted the particular oppression of third world women through violence and gender discrimination. In her groundbreaking career, Mananzan has worked to empower women and to combat injustice and oppression wherever she finds it –whether within the political system, or at the hands of the church.


The other prominent  men and women in the list of honorees include:

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, Jordan
Queen of Jordan, Founder of Madrasati, Co-Founder and Global Co-Chair for 1GOAL
•  Making a passionate, no-nonsense case for girls’ education

Christiane Amanpour, UK
Journalist, Anchor of ABC News's This Week
•  Reporting fearlessly on injustices worldwide

Sarah Brown, UK
Global Patron of the White Ribbon Alliance, Former First Lady of the UK, Founder and President of PiggyBankKids
•  A global voice on the injustice of maternal mortality

Christy Turlington Burns, United States
Founder of Every Mother Counts, Model, Maternal Health Advocate, Documentary Filmmaker
•  Bringing new attention to maternal health

Laura Bush, USA
Former First Lady of the United States, Founder of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health
•  A conservative voice for women’s health, education and empowerment

Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South Africa
Singer and advocate
•  Lending her iconic voice to the fight for women’s health

Hillary Clinton, USA
Secretary of State, Democratic Presidential Candidate in 2008, Former Senator, Former First Lady of the United States
•  Role model to millions, and a relentless advocate for women worldwide

Shirin Ebadi, Iran
Human rights lawyer and activist, Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
•  Fighting for human rights in Iran

Janette Loreto Garin, Philippines
Deputy Majority Leader in the Philippine House of Representatives
•  Championing reproductive rights in the Philippines

Melinda Gates, United States
Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
•  Passionate advocate and powerful donor

Andrea Jung, United States
Chairman and CEO of Avon Products, Inc.
•  Offering women a route to economic independence

Wangari Maathai, Kenya
Founder of the Green Belt Movement, Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
•  Proving that environmental stewardship and women’s empowerment go hand in hand

Oprah Winfrey, USA
Television producer, Philanthropist, Founder of the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa
•  Broadcasting women’s stories to the world

(for a complete list of the honorees, kindly visit their site or click on the links above)

The list includes people whose names ring a bell.  The remainder belong to those who have done what they could, like these two Filipinas, in pursuit of their personal advocacies.  

In times of tragedy, heroes emerge.  But in the case of Garin and Mananzan and the rest of these people included in the Women Deliver 100, it did not take a sudden tragedy to convert them to heroes.  In doing what they love, helping their fellowmen and giving much of themselves, they have helped save lives.  The instant recognition given them in this venue has brought me inspiration.  Indeed, it need not take an insurmountable odd to prompt one to contribute whatever he/she can for the betterment of humanity.  Neither does it solely require an organization such as Woman Deliver to do the task of recognizing the heroism that lurks amongst us.

I am a woman.  And I hope to deliver.