The Board of the Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network congratulates the 2022 Global FWN100™ Awardees who were recognized at a Gala Awards Ceremony on November 3, 2022, at the 18th Filipina Leadership Global Summit held in Lisbon, Portugal at the Dom Pedro Lisboa.

FWN’s special guest was the Portuguese Republic’s Secretary of State for Equality and Migration HON. Isabel Almeida Rodrigues. She spoke of her early years growing up in the Azores, pursuing a law degree, how she developed her deep passion for gender equality, immigration, and the protection of children, and her election as one of the first women members of Parliament (Assembly of the Republic of Portugal). Appointed by Prime Minister António Costa in May 2022 as Secretary of State, it is a major opportunity to continue her work for women’s rights and voices for women and girls.

HON. Celia Anna Feria, the Philippines Ambassador to Portugal in her keynote shared the rich history of Filipina Women as revolutionaries fighting for liberation throughout centuries of colonization, imperialism, and oppression by Spanish, American, and Japanese forces that helped shape the Philippines and paved the way for modern-day influential women who are political advocates, educators, scientists, inventors, civic leaders, suffragists, feminists, corporate and tech innovators, builders and thought leaders that comprise FWN’s Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Awardees from 2007 to 2022.

FWN CEO Marily Mondejar described the 2022 Summit’s theme —Liberation. Transformation. Change.— “Our journeys start with Liberation — the right to live your life as you want. After years of being expected to follow others’ dreams, that first spark of a want led us to wrestle with shoring up our confidence and verbalizing our dreams. As we transformed, our circles changed. You can now make change happen faster, stronger, and limitless,” Mondejar challenged the 2022 Influential Awardees.

“The 2022 Global FWN100™ Awardees kicked off the Global Pitch Project, FWN’s global giveback to the local communities that liberated and transformed awardees into the influential women they have become. The Global Pitch Project continues the Shaping the Filipina Image Campaign launched in 2001. This project truly recognizes Filipina women as economic and social contributors to the global economy,” Mondejar further emphasized.

Dr. Eileen Patricia de Villa, Medical Officer of Toronto Public Health, gave the Acceptance Keynote to represent the 2022 Most Influential Filipina Women Awardees. She highlighted the influential activities and accomplishments of her fellow 2022 awardees in contributing to a gender-equal world.