Women’s History Month Interview with Rowena Cañete
To celebrate Women’s History Month, we interviewed Rowena Cañete, to highlight her dedication to gender equality and women’s empowerment in global development. Rowena Cañete is the Deputy Health Program Manager for USAID/Philippines Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting for Improved Development (CLAimDev) activity. Read about her role and why she’s an advocate for equality! As a woman-owned social enterprise, we are proud of our team’s efforts to improve the health and livelihoods of women and families around the world.
What makes you Panagora Proud?
Being part of a project that provides information to project implementers that ultimately benefit women’s health and empowerment.
What inspires you to work on gender and women’s empowerment issues?
I am a gender equality and women empowerment advocate because I believe men and women have equal rights. And as such, should have equal access to resources, receive the same pay, should equally share household chores, and not be limited by gender norms, etc. Most importantly, gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It’s essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier.
Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It’s essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier.
Can you share an example of a successful initiative you have been part of during your work at Panagora? What made it a success?
For CLAimDev, each of the various collaboration, learning, and adapting activities is a success as it is a critical process to ensure that the Health Project activities align and work together to generate and use high-quality data to catalyze continuous learning and adaptive management in the face of new knowledge and changing contexts.
What advice would you give to others pursuing a career in international development?
You have to be open to the realities in the field. Respect culture and experiences and when possible take those as part of the solution and not the problem.