Whether we like it or not, packaging is a lot more effective than we think. Despite the fact that women only make 79 cents for every dollar paid to men, products marketed to women cost 7% more than products marketed to women. Are we being tricked? News story from The Washington Post.
Recently, President Obama cancelled the Visa Waiver Program in 38 countries. Now, individuals from these 38 countries who hold dual citizenship from Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Iran must now get a Visa to visit the United States. In the past, people from 38 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Chile, could travel to the United States for 90 days with just a passport. Under the new changes made to the Visa Waiver Program, Iranian-Americans like tech entrepreneur and Code.org founder Ali Partovi have become second class citizens. News story from San Francisco Chronicle.
Healing at last? More than 70 years after the end of World War II, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement last Monday to resolve their dispute over Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japan’s Imperial Army. Recently, hundreds of South Korean protesters joined two surviving comfort women to denounce the agreement. The remaining survivors were not consulted by South Korean officials as they brokered an agreement with Japan. It is still unclear whether the comfort women will actually receive the compensation money. The 70 former comfort women in the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and North Korea, have yet to receive any financial compensation nor a formal apology from the Japanese government. News story from New York Times.
New dad Mark Zuckerberg had a clever response to a comment on a recent Facebook post he made about building an artificial intelligence system for his home. On the post, a grandmother commented that girls should "Date the nerd in high school" because he might turn out to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. In response, Zuckerberg replied, "Even better would be to encourage them to *be* the nerd in their school so they can be the next successful inventor."
Though 7/10 employees at Facebook are men, Facebook has recently made mindful, intensified efforts to both garner interest, and recruit women in the technological field.
It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Willy Gaa. He died peacefully after a battle with cancer with his loving wife, Mrs. Erlinda Gaa, at his side.
Gloria T. Caoile, FWN Advisory Board Member, recalls, "Ambassador Gaa brought to Washington, D.C. his consummate diplomacy - getting to know our communities, listening to our issues and working with our concerns! He opened his home to the community where conversations continued in a very comfortable setting. He will always be remembered as one of us!!!"
Ambassador Gaa's legacy will live on through the impact of his 36 years of service to both the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora community. He began his foreign assignment in the Philippine Consulate, San Francisco as Vice Consul then Consul General in New York from 1997-1999 before becoming Manila's envoy to Australia from 2003-2004, China from 2004-2006, and the U.S. in 2006-2009.
Cecilia "Cecile" Gregorio Ascalon is the new Executive Director of the Pilipino Senior Resource Center, a nonprofit providing social services to Filipinos in the South of Market area in San Francisco. PSRC Services include health, housing and legal services as well as psychological counseling, case management and social engagement. Gregorio Ascalon will create policy, plan strategies, build resources and capacity, manage finances, hire and develop staff in close coordination with the board of directors of the oldest existing social service agency focusing on Filipinos in San Francisco.
Congratulations Nina Aguas (Global FWN100™ '13) on your new appointment as Chief Executive Officer at Insular Life Philippines. Nina brings into the position over 30 years of experience with major financial institutions primarily Citibank and Australia New Zealand Bank. More recently, she was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCOM). She has a proven track record of building new businesses as well as growing large existing businesses in highly competitive and challenging environments, and through difficult economic cycles ranging from the Asian crisis to the recent global financial crisis. News story from Business World Online.
A gift: For the empowered Filipina woman. To motivate young Filipina women. Filipino pride. To illustrate where we've been, where we are and where we're going.
Give the gift of inspiration this holiday season. "Disrupt: Filipina Women. Proud. Loud. Leading without a Doubt." is FWN's first book on Filipina women leadership.
Available for purchase thru Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1AybRbV (print edition) or http://amzn.to/1arFT7x (Kindle edition).
