07 MARCH 2025, Vienna, Austria – There is no glass ceiling for women in the Philippine government and other sectors, stated Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative Evangelina A. Bernas, speaking at the Vienna International Center on 7 March 2025 during the Ambassadorial Breakfast to commemorate International Women’s Day 

“While there are challenges within the structure, there is no glass ceiling in the Philippines for women, and we have women leaders across all industries, whether in government, private sector, or the smallest micro-enterprise,” the Philippine envoy said. 

The breakfast was co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Norway and Kenya as Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in UNOV/UNODC to commemorate the International Women’s Day and the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Sharing her reflections on 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and women empowerment in Philippine diplomacy, Ambassador Bernas highlighted the important contributions of Filipino women leaders, including Dr. Patricia Licuanan who served as the Main Committee Chair of the Fourth World Conference on Women which adopted the declaration.

Ambassador Bernas also mentioned the strong presence of women in the Philippine judiciary. “Our Supreme Court is proud to announce that 56% of sitting judges in trial courts and 77% of justices in the court of tax appeals are women, and two women out of 14 associate justices in the highest court of the land,” the Ambassador said. END.