Women are worth celebrating every day and March 8 was extra special because of International Women’s Day. The recognition of women’s accomplishments and the push for equality, diversity, and inclusion continue to be highlighted throughout March as it’s proclaimed National Women’s Month Celebration. Marks and Spencer recognizes the role that women have in the world. The brand is participating in the month-long celebration by collaborating with women changemakers to support their advocacies and charities. This includes Hope for Lupus Foundation co-founder Dra. Geraldine “Ging” Zamora-Abrahan, Mano Amiga PH co-founder Eleanor “Lynn” Rosa Pinugu, and UNICEF ambassador Bela Padilla.

Women Helping Women

Actress, director, and writer Bela Padilla is best known for her work in 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, Meet Me in St Gallen, and films featuring women as heroines. These films explore women, including their strengths and imperfections, giving them a voice in the new generation of Philippine cinema.

Bela’s accomplishments go beyond the screen as an ambassador of UNICEF. Being a global organization, UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

“For me, being empowered is the ability to give more of yourself to others,” says actress/ director/writer Bela Padilla. “I was blessed with a campaign a few years ago that gave me the option to donate a part of or my full talent fee to a charity of my choice. I chose to donate my full fee to UNICEF maybe because I have a lot of young cousins, nieces, nephews, and godchildren. I’ve also worked with a lot of child actors while filming and spoiling the kids who’ve grown up around me has been one of my guilty pleasures. So extending any kind of help we can to children who need it just makes sense to me.“

Co-Founder of Hope for Lupus Dra. Ging Zamora-Abrahan is a renowned internist and rheumatologist with more than a decade of experience. She practices at Manila Doctors Hospital in Ermita, Manila, and St. Luke’s Medical Center in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City. She is a member of Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation Inc. and Phi Lambda Delta Sorority. Some of the services provided by the doctor are Infectious Disease Treatment, Consultant, Medicine, HIV Counseling, and Specialty Diagnostics in Tuberculosis, etc.

She looks back at her experience as a physician-in-training where she witnessed the difference in outcomes when patients have the social support and financial means for disease management, especially in our patients with lupus:

“It’s often a matter of life and death. To help address this gap, I volunteered and now am part of the Board for the Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation, and also started the Lupus Bridging Fund to assist patients in the Medicine wards of the Philippine General Hospital.

But these are not enough, so when Atty. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, a formidable and inspiring lupus warrior, approached us with her vision, the Hope for Lupus Foundation, which we readily joined, thus its birth in 2016.”

Hope for Lupus is a foundation that aims to promote early detection and proper treatment of lupus by increasing awareness and understanding of this mysterious condition. It endeavors the reduction of misdiagnoses and unnecessary deaths, which is highly preventable when more people are armed with the right information. Hope for Lupus also provides much-needed social support to patients and their families who are affected by the disease.

Mano Amiga founder Eleanor “Lynn” Pinugu is an educator, social entrepreneur, international speaker, and advocacy communications expert based in Manila. She is also the co-founder of Shetalks Asia, a platform for sharing stories & sparking necessary conversations. With educating people as one of her life’s works, Lynn pursued the path of providing education and skills to the less fortunate through Mano Amiga PH, a foundation that catalyzes community transformation and inclusive growth.

“This year, Mano Amiga Philippines is turning 15 years old! It has grown from a small preschool in 2008 to a full basic education program. We are also a full-service community development Center offering livelihood training and other capacity-building programs. We work with the private sector in developing teacher training programs to share our best practices in project-based learning and social-emotional learning program with public school teachers,” imparts Pinugu. “Best of all, we have several graduates already who are now pursuing their University studies. I met these kids when they were only 4 as 5 years old so you could just imagine how emotional I feel to see them thrive as young adults, taking another step closer to their dreams.“

Marks and Spencer Champions Women’s Visions and Platforms

“It is very important for brands to use their platform to help shed awareness for important issues, and to support viable solutions. I am incredibly grateful to M&S for partnering with Mano Amiga Philippines this women’s month, and for sharing in our mission to provide more girls from a low-income background, access to high-quality education,” expresses Pinugu.

Marks and Spencer is more than just a clothing, food, and home retail brand. Being the first retailer to be carbon neutral1, they advocate for responsible and ethical sourcing of their products and diversity in their employment. M&S has supported multiple diverse charities 2 and is committed to reaching at least 50% female representation and 15% ethnic minority representation in their senior management by 2025.3

To celebrate Women’s Month, the franchise in the Philippines follows in its Principal’s footsteps by donating to UNICEF, Hope for Lupus Foundation, and Mano Amiga which will help push and continue with the organizations’ humanitarian programs.

There is much excitement when brands embrace social causes and advocacies. Pursuing respect, sustainability, and uplifting in the world, whether as brands, organizations, or individuals, would pave the way for the world to be a better home.

Learn more about Marks & Spencer’s advocacies at corporate.marksandspencer.com.

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