Aimed at promoting equal distribution of care work and enabling policies that will enhance women’s access to economic opportunities, the WEE Connect or Connecting for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW) was formally launched during the National Social Entrepreneurship Conference (NSEC) on April 29, 2025 at the University of the Philippines (UP) School of Statistics Auditorium.
“We are excited to introduce WEE Connect which aims to deepen the integration of gender perspective in the policy and practice of social enterprises and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It will serve as a collaborative platform for social enterprises and MSMEs’ leaders and value chain stakeholders to a meaningful process of learning on gender equality as well as unpaid care and domestic work. WEE Connect seeks to promote learning exchange through experience sharing, evidence-based reflection and peer to peer support among gender advocates and practitioners”, expressed by Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay, Convener, PRESENT Coalition and WEE Connect.
“Social enterprises like the ones engaged through the COP, have a unique and powerful role to play. SEs are not just businesses; but agents of social change and social impact. SEs show that profit and purpose can work hand in hand. Through the COP we hope to pilot and strengthen care-friendly policies and share real examples of what works therefore inspiring a wider circle of MSMEs to follow”, said Mr. Kim Arveen Patria, Campaigns and COP Director of Investing in Women.
“Let us look at WEE beyond economic indicators. Let us look and strive to address the barriers that hold back women’s participation in the economic sphere and the disproportionate role of women in UCDW. Women need to be integrated for any initiative to be truly inclusive, meaningful, and impactful”, urged Ms. Maria Rosario “Lot” Felizco, Executive Director, Oxfam Pilipinas.
We’re coming together not only building capacity but also building momentum towards a future where workplaces support women and men to share care and economic roles and opportunities and responsibilities equally and where gender equality is no longer invisible, but visible, valued and unstoppable”, ended by Mr. Patria.
The launch was moderated by Ms. Felicitas Joji Pantoja, CEO and Founder of Coffee For Peace. WEE Connect is composed of 20 social enterprises and resource institutions in the country committed to pursue the goal of gender equality and addressing unpaid care and domestic work. These include: AGREA Foundation, Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative Inc, Balik Batik, Community Crafts Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Coffee for Peace, Ecosystems Work For Essential Benefits (ECOWEB), Federation of People’s Sustainable Development Cooperatives (FPSDC), Foundation for a Sustainable Society Incorporated (FSSI), Global Organic and Wellness Corporation (GlowCorp), Heritage Finds, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit & Savings Cooperative (KASAGANA-KA COOP/K-COOP), Magwai, Move to Change, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), RIPPLEx, SheSecure – ARQ SME BDS, The Moropreneur, Inc (TMI), Villa Socorro Farm, and Vizcaya Fresh Inc. (VFI).
WEE Connect is a community of practice and is part of the EmpowerHer Project being implemented by Oxfam Pilipinas in partnership with the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA) and the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Coalition with support from Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government.