MWO-WDC HOLDS EVENTS EMPOWERING MIGRANT WOMEN ON WOMEN’S MONTH

PRESS RELEASE

WDC-18-2025

3 April 2025

Embassy Press and Information Section

info@phembassy-us.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day and Philippine National Women’s Month, the Migrant Workers Office (MWO-WDC) of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. organized two significant events aimed at empowering Filipino migrant women workers and raising their awareness about important issues affecting their lives.

On March 7, 2025, the MWO held the second of the Human Trafficking Awareness Webinar Series, a program implemented in collaboration with Polaris, a U.S.-based non-government organization leading the efforts to combat human trafficking. The session focused on the lived experiences of migrant trafficking victims. Entitled “Trafficking Experienced by Migrant Workers”, the webinar was attended by 42 overseas Filipino workers and migrant leaders from the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Philippines.

Diana Fimbres, Associate Director for the Workers’ Rights Team of Polaris, served as the webinar resource speaker. She discussed the vulnerabilities of migrants to exploitation, highlighting the dangers of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude. Fimbres emphasized that migrants, particularly those fleeing conflict, poverty, or human rights violations, face heightened risks due to legal, economic, and social factors.

Philippine Embassy Second Secretary and Consul Barbie Jane Rosales opened the webinar underscoring the importance of addressing human trafficking as a global issue. She encouraged attendees to view the session as both an educational opportunity and a call to action, reminding everyone that every woman and girl has the right to live free from violence, coercion, and fear. She reaffirmed the Philippine Embassy’s commitment to supporting trafficking survivors and helping empower communities in their efforts to prevent human trafficking.

Meanwhile, an in-person seminar entitled “Babae Ako! Celebrating and Understanding Migrant Women”, was held on March 8, 2025 at the Embassy of the Philippines Chancery Annex. Organized by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration of MWO-WDC, the seminar aimed for the participants to have a deeper understanding of themselves through self-discovery and personal growth. It also sought to equip them with tools to develop new skills and manage challenges effectively. Thirty-three (33) women migrants participated in the seminar.

Ms. Maria Cecilla Gregorio Ascalon, a family counselor and faculty member at Ateneo de Manila University, facilitated the seminar. She emphasized the vital roles migrant women play both in their families and in their communities. She encouraged participants to reflect on their strength, resilience, and the valuable contributions they make, both overseas and back home.

Philippine Embassy Charge d’Affaires Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon, Labor Attaché Saul De Vries, and Welfare Officer Mae Codilla delivered opening, inspirational and closing messages, stressing the importance of celebrating the invaluable contributions of women, particularly migrant women, who continue to uplift their families and communities in the face of adversity. ###