Why the path to women empowerment is better when faced together

When we think of women empowerment, we often think it’s about amplifying extraordinary women and their accolades. We celebrate their wins, but we often overlook what it took for them to get there — the disappointments, the losses they don’t speak about, and the overall grueling road to their success. 

The path to women empowerment becomes much clearer when it’s championed by a collective of individuals who work together for a common cause. Here’s why that matters. 

Success doesn’t always equate to doing everything on your own

Women can already do so much as individuals. They can lead, set records, establish their own voices in cutthroat industries, and can excel in any field they’re passionate about. But it takes a village, and for the people behind She Talks Asia, everything is better when done together. 

“We chose [Better Together as the] theme for this summit because we realized that after years of focusing on very important work, which is finding our individual voices, our strength lies when we come together. In our connection with one another. We are unlearning the idea that we have to do it all alone just to succeed. Aren’t we better together as a community?” said actress and She Talks Asia co-founder Iza Calzado. 

She Talks Asia co-founders Bianca Gonzalez, Lynn Pinugu, and Iza Calzado. All photos from She Talks Asia

It’s a sentiment the 2026 She Talks Asia co-chair Hannah Pangilinan can agree with, too. 

For the last 10 years, Pangilinan has navigated life with an online following she amassed from her YouTube channel. And throughout her endeavors as a run club founder, athlete, content creator, and everything in between, she’s never forgotten the communities she’s built and helped nurture. 

Pangilinan sees these communities in the form of “layers.”

She Talks Asia 2026 co-chair Hannah Pangilinan speaks about the importance of community.

“A community has three layers. First is the ‘mentor;’ I constantly seek out people who inspire me. Next is ‘peers;’ there is no comfort like having people at similar stages. Third is ‘apprentices;’ good and bad experiences don’t have to stop with me. I can recycle them for the next generation,” she explained. 

Being there for others goes a long way

When someone opens up to you about a problem they’re facing, what’s your first instinct? Do you tell them about a similar situation you were in to console them, tell them not to worry, or try to offer an immediate solution to their problem? 

All these actions come with good intentions, but they’re not always the best ways to help another person grappling with a dilemma. 

In telling them about a similar experience you had, there’s that risk of shifting the focus to you. In telling them it’s going to be okay, you may already be minimizing their experience. If you offer a fix to their problem right away, it may make them feel unheard. 

So, what’s the best way to show support to others trying to get through their struggles? For She Talks Asia co-founder Lynn Pinugu, it’s all about asking them questions and giving them the space to talk about what they’re going through. This way, you are allowing the other person to feel seen, heard, respected, and emotionally safe.

She Talks Asia co-founder Lynn Pinugu.

“What they need from you is your presence. And the best way to show your presence is to really be there and to be very interested in what they’re going through,” Pinugu said. 

That’s empathy. 

“Any person you encounter, this is really one of the key things. You no longer fear that you’re going to be dismissed or judged. And because of that, conflicts become easier to navigate. And when conflicts are easier to navigate, it’s also easier to build communities,” she added. 

When men are included in the conversation

But She Talks Asia realized that to truly uplift women, men need to be part of the conversation, too. Not to meddle or act as heroes, but to work with women to unlearn the harmful ideologies they’ve adopted growing up — allowing them to rally for true gender inclusivity together. 

For the first time since its founding in 2017, the summit introduced a male co-chair, broadcast journalist Atom Araullo, and on its lineup had an all-male panel consisting of stand-up comedian Red Ollero and Gen Z actor Robbie Jaworski. 

She Talks Asia’s male panelists Atom Araullo, Red Ollero, and Robbie Jaworski.

“It’s obvious that I was shaped by many different influences. Friends, family, experience, sports, arts, and even activism,” Araullo said, pointing to the childhood photos he showed during his speech. “And I realized that I am a child of many different communities and support groups. But when we ask, are the boys okay? When we talk about the new generation, I want to know if they also have the same communities.” 

Jaworski, 26, grew up thinking that to be a man, you had to be in control of everything — that you had to “man up” and take the lead. But he would quickly learn that that shouldn’t always be the case. 

“In reality, when you talk about that equality or that sense of community and collaboration with men and women, I learned at an older age that it should be a more collaborative environment instead of an environment where men should [always take the lead],” Jaworski said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Overall, however, Ollero emphasizes the value of discourse — and it’s something we can apply to the fight for inclusivity and gender equality. This, he says, are building blocks toward progress. 

“Any kind of issue, kahit hindi siya sikat (even if it isn’t well-known), if people get to talking about it, magkakaroon ‘yun ng (there will be) improvement. Because you’ll be surprised how many decent people are out there,” the comedian said. 

There’s still a long way to go before we can truly say that we’ve leveled the playing field. But by championing women empowerment with the support of communities across different walks of life, we’re on the right track. – Rappler.com