EMBRACE challenges, be tenacious in honing skills and foster good values at home. These are the messages that women leaders in government shared with fellow women at The Manila Times’ Women’s Forum at Casa Buenas, Newport City, on March 19. The Women in Government panel was composed of Nograles Ilagan Cayco Lizada & Dabi Law CEO and founding partner Margarita Ignacia Nograles-Almario, Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, and Budget and Management Assistant Secretary for Communications and Public Relations Diana Camacho-Mercado. The speakers shared a common experience from the beginning of their careers up to occasional encounters with adversity where they had to assert themselves in male-dominated fields. They experienced being underestimated despite their stellar credentials, colleagues questioning their capabilities and having to take extra steps just to prove themselves. Nevertheless, they remained inspired and took these as opportunities for learning and growth. Leveraging on their experiences, they shared advice for aspiring young women. Women with integrity As leaders, the speakers are not only focused on empowering women but also showing them how role models in leadership should be. For Nograles-Almario, integrity has to be rock solid, especially for public officials who are always in the public eye. They also need to have a strong foundation of values, acquired from their families. It is also important to have a strong support system, which includes colleagues. “What you say, what you do, how you present yourself, and the work that you do will reflect the people who voted for you, and the people who hold you accountable,” she said. “It’s a lot of balancing because when you make a decision, especially for women in government with a high position, you affect a lot. Most of the time, you have to stick to your guns. You have to really decide and when you make a decision, you have to stick to it. You have to make sure that you’ve considered all possibilities, even the consequences. It’s important to have a very strong core value to navigate you through the decisions that you’re making,” she added. Echoing family values, Berberabe emphasized the importance of personal integrity and consistency in realizing those values. “Do not go near the line. Go far from the line. All of us know what is right and wrong. You just listen to your gut. Try to be more discerning and wise,” she advised. “It shouldn’t be [hard] for the vast majority of you because we all have our own principles to begin with, and that should guide us in every decision we make.” Lazaro enjoined other agencies to strengthen integrity in their spaces. “Foreign affairs is not foreign affairs without the other agencies; so, it’s very important that we also deal with the same amount of integrity with other agencies. There is nothing to discuss if you have no good relations with defense, with trade, and so on and so forth,” she said. Moreover, she said personal integrity should be consistent as it ripples across institutions at work. The speakers also imparted inspirational words for aspiring female leaders. “You’re not just a woman; you are a woman for whatever you want to be — a woman with purpose, with integrity. Whatever it is, it’s your [own story]. Do not let others, especially men, dictate who you are. Dictate where and what rooms you belong in, what position you belong to. We are all capable women,” Nograles-Almario said. “There will always be doubters. [These are] the people who tell you ‘It’s so hard. It’s for men. Don’t get into that. You’re not that good.’ Don’t believe them,” Berberabe said. “So if other people tell you to not get into something because it’s hard or because it’s for men, that’s your cue. Get into that. Just stay humble, stay open, and stay diligent and hardworking.” Lazaro emphasized underserved women in provinces, saying, “We have to also take care of the women in the provinces, who are the real ones that are exploited. We have to provide that education. Education is the only thing that no one can take away from us; so, it’s important that we ripple that across the entire Philippines, so that more women can be empowered and know their rights.” “I think women everywhere are very good in the home, at the workplace, in public service and in the communities. We belong everywhere, not just in places that will allow us to be there. We just have to remember that we are enough, and we belong,” Camacho-Mercado said. Eliminating gender roles As female role models, the panel members emphasized that spaces are built for women to grow, and that it is also women who should aid fellow women. “Sponsorship and mentorship of other women is very important [so] that we can highlight inspiring women for our daughters and the next generation,” Berberabe said. Nograles-Almario, who is also active on social media, said it should be all right for women to feel things. “As a woman [and] as a leader not just in government [but also] in business, we are put in a higher standard, and we are under a lot of scrutiny more than men. [We] have to be presentable, but not distracting. [We] have to be assertive, but not aggressive. [We] have to be emotional, but not unstable. There’s so many things that we have to balance out, and sharing those things online lets other women see that it’s OK to talk. It’s OK to be able to defend yourself when you want to.” Berberabe stressed the importance of cultivating women empowerment in homes, especially in teaching daughters to dream. “When our foundation is strong and we encourage our daughters to pick up space, it gives them the leverage in society,” she said. Agencies should also eliminate gender bias by focusing on merits. “If we give this opportunity and if we remove the gender biases and stereotypes, we’ll see that women can really excel in any field they choose to pursue,” Lazaro said.