At the 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), Mandy Romero, a 23-year-old, authored and gave the country statement in an effort to break down the educational hurdles that women and girls in the Philippines face.
Romero delivered a powerful speech at the UN headquarters in New York, speaking on behalf of the youth of the Philippines at the UNCSW. She stated, “Investing in quality education is one of the most transformative zero poverty strategies—to give a platform for diverse female voices.”
The annual conference, which was attended by UN members, covered the most significant initiatives and tactics to promote gender equality globally. Each country’s delegate plots the course that their government will take to address obstacles to gender inequality at the CSW Agreed Conclusions. “The actions are taken back to each country and incorporated into national policies and programs” when the UNCSW adopts these guidelines.
In the Philippines, one in five mothers and one in four children live in poverty. These are not just some numbers. Romero addressed the youth delegates at the two-week UNCSW assembly, saying, “There are countless women and children, in their multitude of experiences, who dream of accessing their right to education.”
Romero enrolled at Georgetown University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management and Policy, as well as Justice and Peace Studies. He graduated with honors, nearly perfecting the 3.95 GPA requirement.
Romero is a committed community organizer for affordable, high-quality education for marginalized indigenous, rural, and urban groups, with more than ten years of experience in lobbying. At the moment, she serves as president of Capital1 Solar Energy, a company that develops and runs battery energy storage systems and utility-scale solar power facilities.
Romero, the daughter of 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero and Sheila Romero, stated, “While the Philippines has proudly achieved gender parity and free access for primary and secondary education, barriers like family responsibilities, malnutrition, hazardous journeys prone to gender-based violence, and disabilities keep one in 10 girls out of basic education.”
Romero mentioned in her three-minute speech the importance of addressing the issues that kids in remote, underprivileged, and conflict-affected parts of the Philippines confront.
“There are at least 7,144 schools designated as ‘Last Mile Schools (LMS)’ by the Department of Education. These are those that have less than four classrooms, most of which are improvised or nonstandard ones; no electricity; no money for repairs; and no easy road access because of the nearly impassable terrain that forces students to walk more than an hour to school from their homes,” Romero stated.
Romero mentioned in her three-minute speech the importance of addressing the issues that kids in remote, underprivileged, and conflict-affected parts of the Philippines confront.
“There are at least 7,144 schools designated as ‘Last Mile Schools (LMS)’ by the Department of Education. These are those that have less than four classrooms, most of which are improvised or nonstandard ones; no electricity; no money for repairs; and no easy road access because of the nearly impassable terrain that forces students to walk more than an hour to school from their homes,” Romero stated.The gender gap and success gap increase as girls living in poverty go from secondary to postsecondary school or the economy. 73 percent of men and only 49 percent of women in the Philippines are employed. Nonetheless, Filipino women with a college degree have a 73 percent higher likelihood of entering the work force. Enrollment in higher education has increased by 9% as a result of the Free Tertiary Education Law, which offers free university tuition, scholarships, and technical and vocational training aimed at unemployed young who are not in school. The bulk of the 2.4 million scholars each year are women, the speaker stated.