Speaker vows women empowerment through digital technology

MANILA, Philippines — Women are an integral part of modern society, which is why they should not be left behind in the Marcos administration’s push for the Philippines to adopt a digital public infrastructure (DPI), Speaker Martin Romualdez said yesterday.

The leader of the House of Representatives, who is now in the United States for the World Bank-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, issued the remarks after attending the lecture of philanthropist and women advocate Melinda French Gates.

“Melinda Gates mentioned how important the digital public infrastructure is to women’s empowerment. DPI provides them access to capital and opportunities. It gives them dignity and respect, and allows them to engage in more activities,” Romualdez said.

DPI is defined as infrastructure that allows people to engage in public and civic life in digital space. It is funded mostly by the government and taxpayers and is not profit-oriented, unlike privately owned digital platforms that rake in billions, mostly from advertising.

The Speaker, a first cousin of President Marcos, said he was both “impressed and inspired” by the lecture of Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest private charitable organizations.

“Gates’ words ring true in that even in this day and age, women are still marginalized professionally. We cannot keep ignoring this unfortunate situation if we are to truly have an inclusive society,” Romualdez said.

“Luckily, digitization can be the great equalizer and place women on equal footing as men in terms of work opportunities, power and influence,” he added.

The ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has written about women empowerment and is an advocate of increasing the number of women technologists in the workplace, having seen first-hand how men dominate the field.

Over the weekend, Romualdez also attended a lecture on digital public infrastructure where he had a chance to speak with Nandan Nilekani, one of the founders of Indian multinational information technology company Infosys.

The Speaker suggested that the Philippines enter into a digital public infrastructure partnership with the US and India.

“There should be no stopping women from being key players in this infrastructure. We will make sure to empower women in this regard through legislation, once we have laid down this digital public infrastructure,” he said.

Romualdez, in his role as Speaker, has been a supporter of the women’s movement in the House. Under his watch, numerous women legislators have been placed in top posts, making them essential to the chamber’s daily operations.

“Women empowerment has definitely worked in our collective favor in the House of Representatives. To see this replicated across all workplaces through the flywheel of digitalization will make French Gates proud,” he said.