We live in a society where being a woman is seen as a disadvantage.
A United Nations (UN) Women report found that women are given low priority when getting access to jobs, education and healthcare. And when women get a job, they usually get the short end. Female CEOs are still a rare sight and here in the Philippines, as with many other countries, the gender pay gap still exists. According to a 2019 Jobstreet study, male employees earn P5,000 more than their female counterparts.
Of course, we’ve seen how several women have broken the glass ceiling in industries like fashion, sports and STEM—and they are excellent in their fields. But we still see people minimizing their roles based on their genders and other qualifiers.
For example: When a man is in the medical field, they are simply called “doctors.” Meanwhile, a woman is sometimes called a “female doctor” as if the identifier changes her ability to serve patients.
This Women’s Month, we’re doing away with gendered qualifiers and recognizing women’s accomplishments through their hard work. Levi’s has started the online campaign #IShapeMyWorld with a Global Anthem video featuring four changemakers: Kat Gumabao, Myriah Marquez, Joy Buolamwini and Tiffany Uy.
Get to know these inspiring women:
Kat Gumabao
Plus-size Filipina model Kat Gumabao made waves internationally when she joined Torrid’s model search and walked the runway during New York Fashion Week 2017. Aside from being a model and makeup artist, she’s also a body positivity advocate who speaks up against body shamers and stereotyping towards plus-size people, proving to the world that “sexy and beauty is not a size.”
Myriah Marquez
Skater Myriah Marquez co-founded GRLSWIRL, “an all-female skate sisterhood aiming to empower women to jump out of their comfort zone and onto a board.” The group squashes the notion that skateboarding is a male-exclusive activity and Marquez, along with Lucy Osinski, are at the forefront of making it more inclusive for women.
Joy Buolamwini
Known as a “poet of code,” computer scientist Joy Boulamwini founded the Algorithmic Justice League, which aims to “create a world with more ethical and inclusive technology.” Her thesis while studying in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) uncovered racial and gender bias in AI services from large tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon. Because of this study, Boulamwini was able to encourage companies to make facial recognition softwares more ethical and inclusive.
Tiffany Uy
In 2015, Tiffany Uy proved to everyone that she won’t let lupus stop her from finishing her studies and graduating summa cum laude from the University of the Philippines (UP). Now, she continues to tell her story in hopes of inspiring others who have the same condition.
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To celebrate Women’s Month, Levi’s is offering 25 percent off select regular priced women’s jeans and tops. Levi’s VIP club members will also get an additional five percent off their purchase.
If you want to join the movement, just use the hashtag #IShapeTheWorld to tell your story. For more news and updates, visit Levi’s website, Instagram and Facebook page.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEVI’S
Screengrab from YouTube
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