Manila, Philippines, March 5, 2024 – TELUS International Philippines (TIP), a leading AI-fueled customer experience and business process solutions provider, kicked off Women’s Month with a powerful event entitled, “Tama na, 2024 na!” featuring Filipinas sharing personal journeys about defying societal expectations and carving out their own unique paths.
Attended by team members from all TIP sites across Metro Manila and Iloilo, the speakers’ personal stories highlighted how they challenged cultural stereotypes while providing a supportive, safe, and inclusive space for others to share their experiences, obstacles, and triumphs. During the event, TIP also shared insights from its recent *survey of over 3,500 team company’s leaders’ desire to better understand the gender bias experiences of TIP’s Filipina community, following the results of the 2023 UNDP Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) report,which found that 99.5% of Filipinos held biases against women.
From left to right) Content creators Mia Gelicka and Tita G, with TELUS International Philippines Director for Financial Planning and Analysis Ria Lopez and Country Vice-president Anne Munoz tackle stereotypical women expectations in a forum hosted by Steffi Lucero at TELUS Market! Market!
Breaking free from societal expectations
TIP’s talk shed light on the societal pressures and expectations Filipino women face regarding marriage, motherhood, and career choice and how despite this, filipino womn are icreasingly delaying marriage, choosing not tohave children, pursuing diverse relationships and balancing career and motherhood. To celebrate their courage and strength,personal journeys and motivatrions,TIP invited a group of inspiring modern Filipnas to share their stories.
TELUS International Philippines team members participate in an interactive game and poll called “Never have I ever” featuring awkward questions directed to Filipino women
During her talk, curve model and body positivity advocate Mia Franz-Gelicka shared how she initially felt pressured to conform to societal expectations of beauty, but eventually discovered her path to wellness and self-love. Meanwhile, Tita G (Grace), a working millennial with a communication arts background says she continues to face unwelcome remarks in family gatherings, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing aspirations and not allowing external opinions dictate life choices.
“At TELUS International, we proactively make room for these important discussions around women, addressing pressing concerns with empathy, respect, and support for every women’s unique journey ,” emphasized Anne Muñoz, Country Vice-president at TIP.”We must break free from these suffocating norms and collectively cultivate an inclusive culture.
Pinays are still receiving questions about weight and relationships
According to the survey, women continue to receive unwelcome questions and comments about thier physcal appearance, relationship status and personal life choices. Nearly half (46%) of the respondents who identified as women said they had experienced unwelcome questions such
as, “When are you getting married?” and “Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet?” and 67% of
respondents had received comments such as, “Looks like you gained weight.”
The survey data revealed that these remarks which reflect societal pressures on women are
mainly influenced by factors like family upbringing (71%), local culture/cultural traditions (75%),
and media (41%).
International Philippines Country Vice-president Anne Munoz highlighted the healthy and balanced women’s representation at every level within the organization in her closing remarks for Tama na, 2024 na! Forum.
The office is the safest place from unsolicited questions and comments for women
The survey also revealed that these questions were most often asked by friends (72%),relatives (66%) and immediate family members (50%). The workplace, according to the respondents, is the safest place from questions,with workplace leaders(4%) and teammates (11%) being among the likely sources of these questions.
A lesson in treating others the way we want to be treated
Surprisingly, 74% of the survey respondents who identified as women said that they had asked
‘unwelcome’ questions to other women. Over 78% of the respondents who identified as male
said they asked women they knew these questions and 87% of those who did not identify as
either male or female, or preferred not to say their gender said they did the same.
Those on the receiving end of the questions noted that it affected them emotionally. They felt
irritated, inadequate, and pressured to conform to physical attributes and lifestyle choices not of
their choosing. The survey respondents also said the remarks and questions had negatively
impacted their self-esteem (51%), decisions about their future (24%) and interactions with
others (38%).
The survey data revealed that these pressures are mainly influenced by factors like family
upbringing (71%), local culture/cultural traditions (75%), and media (41%).
As part of the survey, TIP team members were asked to share their thoughts about how women
should deal with the expectations imposed on them by society. Their responses varied, with
some suggesting that women should ignore these pressures and just focus on what they want
for themselves, while others emphasized the importance of educating individuals who
perpetuate stereotypical expectations. They believe that this can lead to a better understanding
and acceptance of women’s choices and abilities.
Defining and empowering the ‘modern Filipina’
Tama na, 2024 na! emphasized the importance of celebrating women’s diverse roles in
promoting inclusivity and equality, and everyone’s responsibility to challenge cultural gender
stereotypes. Discussions during the event defined the modern Filipina as someone who fearlessly embraces her identity, challenges societal norms, and navigates the complexities of life on her own terms.
Aligned with this description and vision, the Connections Women’s Network, TIP’s women-
focused employee resource group, plays a vital role in promoting an inclusive and diverse
workplace. They do this by supporting, inspiring, and empowering women to pursue career
excellence, personal and professional growth, and community involvement that contributes to
fostering a culture of empowerment and inclusivity.
“TELUS International Philippines is committed to continuing to foster an inclusive and supportive
environment for our team members in which every individual feels safe bringing their authentic
selves to work every day,” added Muñoz. “We believe in leading by example, demonstrating
empathy, respect, and support for every woman’s unique journey within our organization, at
home and in their communities.”
About TELUS International Philippines
TELUS International Philippines, Inc. is a leading Philippines-based provider of digitally enabled
customer experience and business process solutions and is a proud member of the global
TELUS International family. Today, TELUS International Philippines has seven sites
strategically located throughout Metro Manila, and two sites in Iloilo, which support some of the
world’s top brands.
About TELUS International
TELUS International (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digitalsolutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company’s services support the full lifecycle of its clients’ digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International’s integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation,consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of tech and games company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and others.
TELUS International’s unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. Since 2007, the company has positively impacted the lives of more than 1.2 million citizens around the world, building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events and charitable giving. Five TELUS International Community Boards have provided $5.6 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2011.
