Who should you nominate for FN's Womanity Awards?

You may have seen the advertisements on the site for Female Network’s first ever Womanity Awards, which are designed to honor Filipinas who have inspired us with their talents, hard work, dedication, and successes in their particular fields. You may have seen the features, and you may even have thought of women you might want to nominate.

We’d like to help you get a better idea about what (or, rather, who) we’re looking for, so check out the list of qualities we’d like to see in our Womanity candidates. Click on a trait to learn more about it and read about previous Womanity features who are exemplars of these characteristics, or simply keep reading!

1. She meets life head on, and overcomes the challenges thrown at her.
2. She is smart, savvy, and sexy on the inside, if not out.
3. She knows her value as a woman and can give a tip or two on how other women can meet their full potential.
4. She inspires other women to try to do by setting an example in her work, life, and general character.
5. She is proudly Pinay, and she does her part to share her knowledge and/or good fortune with others.

1. She meets life head on, and overcomes the challenges thrown at her.

A Womanity nominee perseveres despite (or because of) the obstacles she encounters in life; she is the kind of woman who, when she gets knocked down, always gets up again. In spirit, if not in profession, she is a warrior. As was said of Mulan in the classic Disney movie titled for her, "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

No one knows this better than Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton, the lady boxer who became the world’s first female World Boxing Organization Super Bantamweight champion. She lost the title to Lisa Brown, but reclaimed it just last month, winning the Philippines another honor in this sport of lightning moves and quick reflexes.

[Click here to read Ana Julaton’s Womanity profile]

(Photo used with permission of Ana Julaton)


2. She is smart, savvy, and sexy on the inside, if not out.

The ideal Womanity nominee is both interested in and knowledgeable about the world around her. She likes to look her best because it makes her more confident, but she knows that true sexiness and beauty are states of mind rather than physical traits. She aspires to be beautiful on the inside and out, and she encourages other women to do the same.

She also knows how to make the world dance to the tune she plays—or sings, in the case of Charmaine Clamor, who is credited with starting the Fil-Am jazz genre she calls “Jazzipino.” Her remake of the classic “My Funny Valentine,” which she’s called “My Funny Brown Pinay,” is a witty gem of a song that encourages Filipinas to embrace the qualities that make them quintessentially Pinay.

[Click here to read Charmaine Clamor’s Womanity profile]

(Photo by Alan Mercer; used with permission of Charmaine Clamor)


Model, mother, and jewelry designer Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez is also a great example of a Womanity nominee. Apart from being a successful runway and print model (a career she's pursued from the tender age of 14), she also splits her energies between her four kids and her jewelry crafting and designing business, the products of which are sold locally by Rustan's but also in Paul Smith stores in London, Milan, and Los Angeles.

Tweetie believes that success is about doing your best: “Whether the outcome of my efforts are favorable to me or not, I am successful. I always try to be guided by my values and principles, all ingrained in me by my parents, when faced with difficult situations and in conducting myself.”

[Click here to read Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez’s Womanity Profile]

(Photo by Sara Black)


3. She knows her value as a woman and can give a tip or two on how other women can meet their full potential.

The Womanity Awards are all about honoring women with substance. They’ve endured life’s tribulations and persevered through its trials, and because of this, they’ve emerged strong women who know their own worth and are secure in their femininity.

Rachel Grant, who made her mark as the first Filipina Bond girl in Die Another Day, is one woman who can prove she’s more than just a pretty face. The former beauty queen also works with the Padua Charitable Fund run by her family and promotes the use of healthy organic products as Human Nature’s global ambassador.

When asked what it takes to be a strong, successful woman, Grant said, “Being independent and unique with one’s thoughts and ideas. Being bold, taking risks, and never giving up.”

[Click here to read Rachel Grant’s Womanity Profile]

(Movie still from Die Another Day courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)


Actress Iza Calzado is a woman who has pursued her career on both sides of the Pacific, yet remained quintessentially Filipina. She starred in a number of soap operas on GMA-7, then in 2005 won the Best Supporting Actress award for the Gawad Urian. She also appeared in the Hollywood film The Echo.

Iza has this advice for her fellow Filipinas: “Know your strengths and focus on them. Love what you do and at some point you will achieve success. I believe that God has great things planned for me. So [it’s important to] have faith.” 

[Click here to read Iza Calzado’s Womanity Profile]

(Photo by Sara Black)


4. She inspires other women to try to do by setting an example in her work, life, and general character.

Womanity nominees know about both the responsibility and the honor that come with serving as role models to their peers or to those younger than they are. They try to set a good example for others, and will often use their influence to advocate a cause they are passionate about.

Daphne Oseña-Paez is both a mother and a celebrity, and she brings these two aspects of her life to the fore when it comes to fulfilling her role as Special Advocate for Children (SAC) for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

She is using her fame to promote an advocacy that, as a mother, is very close to her heart: breastfeeding. She’s made it her job to educate other women on the importance of feeding their babies breast milk, especially in the first several months of their children’s lives.

[Click here to read Daphne Oseña-Paez’s Womanity Profile]

(Photo used with permission from Daphne Oseña-Paez)


5. She is proudly Pinay, and she does her part to share her knowledge and/or good fortune with others.

A good woman sees to the needs of her loved ones and herself. A great one—a Womanity nominee—tries to see to the needs of people she’s never even met, simply because they are in need. She works for a purpose that is larger than herself because she believes that what she’s doing will help make the world even just a little bit better.

This is what sisters Anna Meloto-Wilk and Camille Meloto have grown up knowing. Their all-natural personal care brand, Human Nature, is organic (so users can rest assured these are unlikely to harm their skin) and chemical-free (so products are eco-friendly). More than that, they’ve taken an exclusively pro-Philippines stance that gives their business to locals and uses local products, which is not just a great help to the economy, but to the environment too.

The sisters call their business a “social enterprise,” which, as Anna Meloto-Wilk describes it, is one in which the end goal is not necessarily to make as much money as possible, “but rather, to use that profit to affect social changes. Majority of [the profit of a social enterprise] goes back to expanding the business, funding [good causes], and so on.”

[Click here to read the Meloto sisters’ Womanity Profile]

(Photo used with permission of Anna Meloto-Wilk and Camille Meloto)



NOMINATE YOUR WOMANITY AWARD CANDIDATE NOW!

Know someone who fits the description above, as well as the characteristics listed below?

• Extraordinary success and achievement in her chosen field
• Furthers the development of women and paves the way for other women to succeed in society
• Of Filipino descent
• Of good moral character
• 18 years old and above

Why not nominate her for the Womanity Awards? The nomination period has been extended to August 31, 2010, so you still have time to enter the name and relevant details for a woman you admire and look up to. Registered members of Female Network who nominate a candidate for the award earn the chance to win one of 10 FitFlop gift certificates worth P4,000 each, along with gift packs from Kotex.

We're looking for strong women in each of the following categories: advocacies, arts, business, entertainment, fashion, media, public service, science, special awards, and sports.

For more details, visit the Womanity Awards page on Female Network. You can also go directly to the mechanics page.