Karen Davila:‘I live my own empowered woman story and I know every Filipina has hers’

There she was: a younger Karen Davila in 2004 standing in brackish waters in Real, Quezon, just after typhoon Winnie left its handiwork of floods, landslides, dismantled homes and tales of woe. “Buhay ang siningil sa kanila ng kalikasan,” she lamented as the footage showed the face of a grieving woman watching townspeople raise her dead son from out of the muddy grounds after days of fruitless searching. Davila was in Quezon for two weeks, shaken by the relentless tide of death in this wasteland of stories.

She also did a documentary on children in jail, which won the UNICEF Child Rights Award in 2005.

“That was a turning point in my career,” revealed Karen, who has been a broadcast journalist for 33 years and counting. “I wasn’t a mother yet (when I covered that story) but I was appalled and angered at seeing minors and children sharing the same cell with adult inmates. Children who were arrested for stealing fish or sleeping in the marketplace, for example. It was stories like these that pushed the passage of the Juvenile Justice Act or RA 9344.”

It takes a nameless type of fortitude to witness each of these heart-renders and not buckle from the burden of taking it all in.

Davila explained, “I’m the eldest of three siblings and I think seeing the strength of my mother, Purita, in my teenage years during our financial hardships influenced me in becoming the person I am today. My mother taught me the values of hard work and integrity — how nothing in my life will be served on a silver platter.”

Karen credited her work in The Correspondents, ABS-CBN’s weekly documentary format program, for helping mold her heart and mind to the value of education and women empowerment.

“Already in my earlier years as a journalist, I saw that the face of poverty is a she: mothers, who were uneducated or had no access to reproductive health, who dug themselves deeper into poverty and ended up raising malnourished children.”

Davila added that these stories on women and children were more educational and deeply insightful than the usual swill in the daily news cycle.

Two years ago, she volunteered to be part of the United Nations Women organization to visit Cagayan de Oro and Marawi. It was there and then that Karen realized how Mindanao has two different faces.

“It was devastating to see that six years after the war, Marawi remains a ghost town with residents still living in temporary shelters. As a mother, I was saddened to see how families were raising their children in an environment where water, food and the security of owning a home have become a luxury. But there are pockets of inspiration. I met several women, too, who were once warriors for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front — mothers and grandmothers, who trained other women warriors. With the help of UN Women and the local NGOs, they have now become instruments for peace. Women still die because of rido or clan wars in this part of the country, but witnessing how women who were former battalion fighters now serving as peace negotiators in the community was so powerful to see.”

Davila was appointed late last year as UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines and, in a recent event at Westin Manila, was formally introduced.

According to the citation, Karen Davila has been an active advocate for UN Women in the Philippines since 2020. She spearheaded the Agapay Nanay initiative, delivering crucial support to nearly 5,000 beneficiaries during typhoon Ulysses. With a hands-on approach, she mobilized aid for typhoon-affected women in Rizal and Navotas.

She joins a select group of celebrated personalities in the fields of entertainment, sports and activism, including award-winning actors Anne Hathaway and Nicole Kidman.

“UN Women has never had a Goodwill Ambassador from the Philippines and being appointed to this role is truly such an honor,” said Karen. “It is aligned with what I have been advocating for my whole life — gender equality and breaking stereotypes that have been put on women for many years. I want to amplify the need for investing in women in education, having women on the decision-making table and empowering women to make informed choices about their own health and body. I live my own empowered woman story and I know every Filipina has hers. Our role is to help her achieve it.”

UN women rocks

The event at the Westin Manila featured advocates for women’s rights and empowerment.

Rissa Mananquil-Trillo is a UN Women Philippines Champion. Her work with the organization started almost four years ago. She shared, “At the height of the pandemic, with so many Filipinas experiencing vulnerability in every sense possible — physically, mentally, emotionally, and economically — UN Women used the extent of its online platforms to help women find safe spaces and get back on their feet again. I was privileged to have played a small part in that.”

What UN Women stands for completely resonates with Rissa. She explained, “Because I’ve also experienced my share of misogyny in the workplace and dealing with unequal care work at home. When I became a young mother at 18, it became very clear that one of the most practical ways I could have a say over the direction of my life and my child’s was to become economically empowered and financially independent. That became a driving force for many decisions I would eventually make, from pursuing a career in the Philippine fashion and beauty industry to starting my own business, and now, to advocating for more Filipinas to have choices for how they want to live.”

Through her work with UN Women, Rissa was invited to be part of #WhenWomenLead and #ActForEqual UN-led campaigns, the empowering videos on “A Letter to My Younger Self” and “A Letter to My Future Self”, Nanay Agapay outreach, as well as speaking on economic empowerment to Pasig City women and corporations, moderating International Women's Day discussions, and doing field mission in Cotabato to interview women-led organizations and CSOs driving economic resilience in BARMM.

Bianca Gonzalez talked about the organization’s four-year country program priorities.

UN Women primarily focuses on supporting policies related to the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Over the years, its work has expanded to include various initiatives, such as combating gender-based violence in safe cities, promoting safe and fair migration, and advancing women’s economic empowerment through private sector partnerships. It also plays a role in implementing the Bangsamoro Peace Agreement for women, peace and security, as well as collaborates with the justice and security sector. Additionally, UN Women is involved in fostering gender-responsive and climate-resilient communities in the Philippines.

“UN Women Philippines really has a full plate,” said Bianca. “A lot has been accomplished, but there is still so much to be done.”

Through her volunteer work with UN Women, Gonzalez has produced several content forms — from videos to articles — including a documentary about her visit to the Bangsamoro region, meeting women peacekeepers like Aileen Hualde of the Women Organization of Rajah Mamalu Descendants, who do work on early warning early response during conflicts and calamities, and Babu Connie Dumato of Tupo na Tao sa Laya Women, a group of women peacekeepers. Bianca said, “Their stories may not be ‘popular’ or ‘pang-viral,’ but they need to be told for more people to be aware, to feel inspired and empowered of what women can do, and what we can do to support other women as well.”

According to UN Women country program coordinator Rosalyn Mesina, “This is what we want to see for women and girls here in the community: to have that freedom to decide, to have that opportunity to really become what they want to be without any worry or fear. And (for them to know) that their voices and their contributions are being counted and considered when decisions are made.”

Davila hosted a panel discussion with special guests, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, HK Yu.

The ambassador said, “What we can all do — and that’s for every single one of us in this room, whether you’re a man or a woman, middle-ranking or senior leadership — is to take upon yourself this challenge of sponsoring, backing at least one woman in your life, in your work area. Look around and see who are the bright, young things who are emerging. Go out of your way to look after them. Do that, right? This is more than just a formal mentoring role, and sponsorship, you know, I think those programs are really important. But if every single one of us did that, think about the possible mood shift that we can make. The domino effect is going to be huge.”

Senator Legarda places special interest in protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of women, youth, and children.

As a four-term member of the Senate, Senator Legarda has championed numerous landmark laws which promote women empowerment and foster gender equality. She was the author and co-sponsor of the Magna Carta of Women, which aims to eliminate discrimination by recognizing, defending, upholding, and advancing the rights of women, especially those from the marginalized sectors. Her legislative efforts also led to the passage of laws on women’s rights such as the Anti- Violence Against Women and Children Act, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and its expanded version, and the Batas Kasambahay. These pieces of legislation created a legal framework that safeguards the rights and well-being of women, fostering a more equitable and inclusive society.

She explained, “There’s no room in our lives for biases. Life and the world are already so chaotic and problematic to be burdened by innate biases, which would further complicate one’s life. So, my suggestion is to just give and push more women law enforcers, women entrepreneurs, women communicators, women scientists, and women dreamers. (Quoting Langston Hughes) ‘Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.’”

Senator Loren concluded, “But I’ve been dreaming and living for our causes, our shared causes.”

We ask Karen what specific issues she is most passionate about as a UN Goodwill Ambassador.

“I take the role seriously and I value the work. Our first UN Women Ambassadorial project is the SHEstems Scholarship Awards. The Philippines sadly has the worst gender gap in the region when it comes to STEM: there are only three women out of 10 STEM workers. Imagine that. We partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) to help us find the best and the brightest female who will help drive women in STEM for the future. Each student will get a minimum of P120,000 a year, that’s the biggest scholarship award being offered right now and we would like to ensure they graduate and work in the STEM industry. We will help them navigate with mentors and their careers. This is our way of breaking stereotypes placed on women in this industry.”

Another project is the Women Leadership Coaching and Mentoring Program, which will allow greater interaction and engagement among women in the field of business and the academe.

“UN Women PH has put together a program for mentoring and leadership and we will be focusing on women in areas like Mindanao, the Bangsamoro region, as well as provinces where women don’t have as much access and opportunities for connections and training. This is a long-term program that can help change the lives of many women.”

Ultimately, Davila wants to use her voice and credibility for something meaningful and purposeful for young women in our country. She knows the issues women face on the ground because she has seen it, walked in the trenches, reported on it as a broadcast journalist. It’s a powerful experience that one can’t get by just reading books and reports done by a commission.

“The only way to know what’s on the ground is to be on the ground,” Karen concluded. “And my advice to women who want to use their platform in making a positive impact? Be the change. Anywhere you are, you can make a difference.”