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Speakers
Emerald Anne Ridao is a Communication Arts graduate from the Assumption University of Thailand. She is an established digital media manager and strategist, and has served both Congress and Senate. Most notably, her work with then-Presidentiable Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s digital media campaign has catapulted her to higher recognition. Now, she serves as an Undersecretary under the Presidential Communications Office and holds the helm on delivering the Administration’s plans and policies through effective use of the nation’s digital assets.
Ms. Chandy Eng is the Executive Director of Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC), a non- governmental organization that advocates for gender sensitive projects and programs, and the reform of national laws and policies. She holds dual degree in Law/ELBBL from the Royal University of Law & Economics, a graduate student from Harpswell Foundation. She finished her fellowship in Gender and Sociology from Bowdoin College, Maine, USA. Chandy completed her MA in International Human Rights from Mahidol University, Thailand.
Current Chairperson of the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (GFPS) who leads in mainstreaming gender perspective in the Department’s policies, plans and programs and assess gender responsiveness based on the needs and concerns of various stakeholders. Incumbent Assistant Secretary for Administration, Finance and Comptrollership in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); Doctor in Public Administration and current President of the Association of Government Accountant of the Philippines (AGAP); Holder of Master’s degree in Business Administration, Master in Government Management, Master in Public Management.
is currently the Director IV of the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS) and the Focal Person of the Gender and Development Office (GAD) of the Commission on Higher Education, Main Office. As a native of the island of Cuyo, Palawan, Prof. Legazpi is a known social and cultural advocate in the community and her home province. She has published a book called Palawan Flora and Fauna, detailing the local ecology of the province, as well as being a staunch advocate of the preservation of the Cuyunon culture and language, in line with the advocacies set by her late parents, the cultural icons of Palawan, Fe Tria Fernandez and Jose Torres Fernandez.
Currently the Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine Commission on Women, the primary policy-making and coordinating body on gender equality and women empowerment, and the Oversight Officer for the Inter Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Children Secretariat. Prior to her assumption of office in the PCW, she was in private practice of law for the Magundayao-Borlado Law Office. She also served as the Municipal Administrator of Aliaga, Nueva Ecija in 2020-2022, and was the manager of various businesses, hers and her family’s. DD Maggie, as she is fondly called, is passionate about linking, improving, and increasing support to women and the youth.
Chua Choon Hwa is currently serving as the Deputy Secretary General (Strategic) at the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) since May 2022. He graduated with a B.A (Hons) in Social Administration from the University of Malaya in 1996 and joined the Malaysian civil service as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer. With extensive experience in social welfare, he assumed the role of Deputy Secretary General (Strategic) at the MWFCD in May 2022, overseeing the ministry's overall strategic planning. In November 2022, he was appointed as the Gender Focal Point (GFP) to drive gender mainstreaming initiatives for MWFCD and its agencies. Leading the Gender Focal Team (GFT), he integrates gender perspectives into planning, policies, budgets, and processes, promoting awareness across ministries and agencies.
Alia El-Yassir was appointed as the new Regional Director for UN Women Asia and the Pacific as well as UN Women Representative to the Kingdom of Thailand in September 2023. Previously, she served as UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and UN Women Representative to the Republic of Türkiye (2018-2023). Alia El-Yassir holds a BSc degree in Biology (with a specialization in Ecology) from McGill University and a MSc degree in Desert Studies (with a specialization in Gender Studies) from Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
Gwen Snyder is a Senior Advisor for Digital Inclusion and Gender Equality with the Economic Growth and Gender Equality team in USAID’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub’s. As a USAID Contractor through Dexis Professional Services, Gwen manages activities in the technology, digital inclusion, and digital financial services sector. Her portfolio of USAID activities includes the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), which is a $60 million pooled partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and partnerships with the Better than Cash Alliance and CGAP FinEquity focused on digital payments and financial inclusion. She has a Masters degree in International Economics and Latin American Studies from the John Hopkins University (SAIS).
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