The time has come. Today we will no longer wait, and instead, start to take charge. Today we will learn of our value, instead of believing that we deserve less. This is what every modern Filipina needs to realize—that it all starts with her.
Let’s face the fact: Filipinas represent 40% of the Filipino workforce and over 70% of secondary school graduates. While women today are better educated and have more access to finance, they have not adequately protected themselves. Thus, the risk of financial loss remains high as they still face the perils of economic, social, and natural shocks. The Filipina, an essential part of our economic progress, remains at a disadvantage without the right tools and coverage to pave her way to financial freedom.
Such was the reality that we at InLife (Insular Life), the country’s first and largest Filipino insurance company, wanted to change once and for all. As we recognized the power of women in community and nation-building, we partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to create a movement called InLife Sheroes.
Be Empowered
InLife Sheroes is an advocacy that empowers every woman to become self-reliant and financially independent. And while there are many organizations to date whose mission is to empower women as well, InLife Sheroes offers something new to the table: women economic empowerment, because we believe this is a powerful catalyst in our nation’s progress.
And so we’re calling us Sheroes—the women who have the power to build families, friendships, careers, community, and the nation. We believe that great things happen when Sheroes from all walks of life unite in their goal to uplift their lives and the lives of their loved ones through their skills, hard-work, and sacrifice. That’s why we haven’t just put together a program with solutions that answer women’s needs. We’ve also started a movement that equip Sheroes with financial knowledge and support that will empower them to do the good they want to do.
Be Savvy
At the core of our initiatives is our intent of empowering through education. Online, you’ll find a safe space where women can gain the necessary knowledge and wisdom to enable them to live wealthier, healthier, and more fulfilled. While you can find almost anything on the internet, our site holds content intuitively curated by women who know exactly what women want: Financial Literacy, Health and Wellness, Women Specific Solutions, and Connection to Business and Social Networks. In this community, we talk about love, family, health, career, finance, and everything in between. Through meaningful conversations, we will raise women up, enabling every Shero to get the most out of life.
Additionally, there will be workshops and seminars on personal finance, women-specific health and wellness concerns, investing, wealth creation and preservation, estate planning, entrepreneurship, and more. Meanwhile, a network for start-up women entrepreneurs will be established so that our Sheroes will have access to skill development, mentoring, and B2B financial loans.
Be Part of the Community
All these will be available today. The best part? All you have to do is to sign up. So, sign up at www.inlifesheroes.com. Be part of the movement. Take charge. Be a Shero. Because your time has finally come.
The Advocates
There’s strength in numbers, and we mean that in more ways than one! As our movement gains ground, let’s hear from the advocates whose support has strengthened our platform to raise financially empowered Sheroes.
“Insurance, pre-need and health maintenance products tailor-fitted to the specific needs of women are some of the integral solutions to the difficulties that the Filipino woman faces due to the prejudices against her gender. I am more than delighted to learn that InLife has undertaken a project that is the first of its kind in the insurance industry…[bringing the country] one step closer to achieving true financial inclusivity.” – Atty. Dennis B. Funa, Commissioner, Insurance Commission
“To date, most insurers have not focused on truly assessing the risks women in the Philippines face at different life stages and how to properly cover them. An initiative like InLife Sheroes empowers women in the Philippines by giving them access to risk mitigation coverage, the tools they need to survive any financial, physical and social disruption, thus enabling them to grow as entrepreneurs and professionals.” – Henriette Kolb, Manager, Gender Secretariat, International Finance Corporation
“The Filipina is my inspiration for InLife Sheroes. She is a unique human being as she is an expert in multitasking, she does not divide time and love, she multiplies them, she fights for causes she believes in and turns obstacles into opportunities. She listens to her head as well as her heart…she walks in when everyone else walks out…. Her ingenuity, diskarte and intuition are unflappable. – Nina D. Aguas, Executive Chairman, Insular Life
SHE INSPIRES
In the spirit of women uplifting other women, InLife Sheroes – She Inspires introduces its pioneering circle of influencers who bring with them their own stories and experiences, advice and mentorship, to encourage future Sheroes along their journey toward financial empowerment.
Amina Aranaz Alunan
Elevating Filipino artistry and empowering young designers
Amina Aranaz-Alunan is the creative mind behind the eponymous fashion accessories brand Aranaz and the founder of the country’s first specialized design college, SoFA Design Institute.
Since 1999, the luxury fashion house has been elevating Filipino artistry and craftsmanship in the international market, staying true to its core commitment of promoting local artisans and handmade products. Meanwhile, the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA) Design Institute was established in 2007 to empower young designers to pursue their dreams in the creative arena here and abroad.
Sherill Ramos Quintana
Redefining beauty and wellness product line, the Filipino way
Ten years ago, at the brink of launching her venture, the bank holding her life savings and capital suddenly closed down, subsequently resulting to losses for Sherill. Fortunately, with an unwavering spirit and proceeds from life insurance purchased many years prior, she was able to establish Oryspa, the pioneering rice bran-based health, beauty, and wellness line.
Inspired by the women entrepreneurs who stood as her mentors as she established her brand, Sherill pays it forward by encouraging more women to take charge of their financial well-being just as she had many years ago.
Rose Fres Fausto
Multiplying the financial intelligence quotient
Investment banker turned full-time homemaker, Rose Fres Fausto, shares her financial skills through her books, website, social media channels, weekly columns, and insightful talks.
Anchored on financial intelligence quotient (FQ), Rose’s fqmom.com simplifies the principles of behavioral economics as she tackles financial literacy in women-specific scenarios through articles, podcasts, and videos on financial well-being and purposeful parenting and relationships.
Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation
Alleviating poverty through micro-finance
Founded in 1984 as a non-government organization aiding women and poverty alleviation efforts, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) now serves almost 400,000 clients. The foundation has 130 branches in Batangas, Laguna, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Samar and Leyte.
Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit in women from rural communities, NWTF primarily provides Grameen-based micro-financing and developmental services through its two core projects: Dungganon and Kasanang. The former provides training and credit so that women can start or maintain their own small businesses. Meanwhile, Kasanang provides low-interest, individual loans to help rural and urban entrepreneurs acquire business assets and capital.
ADVT