International Women’s Day

With "Celebrating Progress in Women’s Lives" as theme, unifem (un Development Fund for Women Philippine Committee, Inc.) and Zonta Foundation Philippines, Inc. jointly celebrated International Women’s Day at the main lounge of Manila Polo Club recently.

unifem is officially defined as the women’s fund at the United Nations that provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies promoting women’s human rights, political empowerment and economic security.

Established in 1989, the unifem Philippine Committee, Inc. is the recognized sole representative of unifem in the country to raise funds and advance public support for unifem’s work on gender equality and women’s human rights.

The Philippine Committee operates under our laws governing non-profit and voluntary organizations. At present, it is one of the 16 National Committees worldwide recognized by unifem N.Y. headquarters and the only one in a developing country.

Zonta Foundation Philippines is a non-stock, non-profit corporation registered with the sec since 1988, with Zonta International Clubs in the Philippines as institution members and past presidents of ZI Clubs as individual members.

It was organized to undertake charitable service projects for the improvement of economic, educational, health and professional status of women through the promotion and support of women economic empowerment and livelihood development projects.

From the foregoing definitions, one deduces that serious, civic-minded, no-nonsense women foregathered at the joint celebration to listen to the welcome remarks of re-elected unifem President Georgitta "Beng" Pimentel Puyat–her husband Alfonso ("Jing") and sons were the only brave males in the all-women affair– and the keynote address of dfa Secretary Delia Domingo Albert which was read by her deputy Sonia Brady because of an urgent mission she had to attend in Turkey, and not the least, to legendary pianist Nena R. Villanueva play Ginastera’s daunting "Danzas Argentinas". A fellowship merienda of native delicacies then ensued.