General Commission on the Status and Role Women
March 16, 2026
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, women within the United Methodist Church in the Philippines began naming a reality that many women in the Philippines—and around the world—were experiencing. As families were confined to their homes and church life moved online, young women were becoming increasingly vulnerable—often in places that were supposed to be safe. “Many young women experienced violence in their homes and churches,” remembered Deaconess Blessy Grace De Leon. Out of that reality, A Women was formed. Launched in 2020 as the young women’s program of the Board of Women’s Work of the Philippine Regional Conference, A Women was not designed as a temporary response to crisis. Instead, it was shaped as a long-term commitment to women’s safety, leadership, and dignity—rooted in faith and grounded in community. What began as a dream soon developed into an intentional education and leadership pipeline for young women serving both in the church and in the world.
A Women emerged as a “courageous response to crisis, creating safe space, and nurturing digital spaces for connection, study, and reflection. Grounded in God's justice, peace, and compassion, the A Women, through its leadership team, advanced a nurturing and liberating mission that raised oppression and affords life and dignity,” De Leon explained. “We thought of creative programs that can cater even online, so we started offering a webinar series.” What began with only seven women has now grown to impact more than 150. “At the time of the pandemic, we offered different webinar series that talked about the pressing issues back then,” Blessy explained, “Like sexual harassment, sexual ethics, and how young people and women can have control, and the basics of how they can deal with it.” These conversations pushed boundaries in church spaces where such topics are often avoided. “Talking about sexuality and reproductive health in the church is taboo, especially in the Philippines,” De Leon shared. But “part of understanding the realities of violence and harassment is also understanding their body and how they can take full autonomy and agency of their bodies and their choices,” she concluded.
As the program developed, the leaders discovered that even the act of gathering online required intentionality. “It was a totally new mode of learning,” De Leon said, referring to the growing popularity and necessity of Zoom and other online platforms. Many young women, particularly in the southern regions of the country, did not have stable internet access. A Women addressed this challenge directly. “What we do is we provide date load for internet, and we see to it that everyone can join it,” De Leon explained.
As participation increased, the program’s purpose became even clearer. The program developed a three-phase leadership formation model that moves from awareness-raising to skills and capacity building, and then into immersion. “The raising awareness is phase one,” said Deaconess Sheena Calma. “Then for phase two, the skills and capacity building, and for the third one, it’s an immersion.” Each phase brings together women from across the Philippines, intentionally reaching beyond urban centers. “There are women in the South who are interested in the activities, but most activities are done in Manila, so we brought the leadership development there to them,” Calma shared. Intentionality remains central to the program’s approach. “Through intentional leadership, and we always say intentional, because it's the heart of why in the first place—A Woman continues to empower and nurture young women through organizing, empowerment, and skills training,” De Leon elaborated. “It's also a ministry of accompaniment, before coming to the stage of empowerment, we all need to feel that we are not alone, and when these women see that they can rely on someone, or they are journeying with someone, their stories are being brought to life and they are not silent anymore,” De Leon clarified.
Even the name A Women reflects the heart of the movement. The “A” stands for “activate: Activate praying, discerning, reflecting, responding, and engaging,” but it also carries cultural meaning. “Aside from the English acronym,” De Leon said, “the word ate means big sister.” That meaning shapes how the program understands leadership and belonging. The A Women are open to women of many ages, as young as 13 up to 40. “We acknowledge sisterhood here,” De Leon beamed, “Not only in the technical part of the program, but we intentionally invite sisterhood, even in our personal lives.”
The community that has grown around A Women includes women from many vocations and roles within the church. The A Women are made up of deaconesses, clergywomen, clergy spouses, youth, and young people. Participants now hold leadership positions in a variety of organizations and professions. De Leon elaborated, “Kyla (Ragasa), she's the president of the young people’s organization, and she also works with United Methodist Communications (UMCOM). Me, I am a deaconess and working as the director of communication in the Bishop’s office. Sheena (Calma) and other young women are part of the boards of different institutions. Some are engineers, some are professionals, we have architects, we have psychologists. So, we have a pool of resources on our team that are being maximized or have an influence.” In other words, “We maximize our gifts and graces on how we can give back to the church for such a time as this, and I am proud to say that,” De Leon beamed.
One of A Women’s greatest strengths is the network of relationships that continues long after a program phase ends. Participants do not simply complete a program and move on; they remain connected and continue the work in their own communities. Jhoana Kyla Ragasa, member of the A Women Working Committee, experienced this firsthand. “I was very young back then, just 20 or 21 years old, and then I was invited to join the first phase.” At the time, she was serving as a district youth president. “The first one really made an impact with my leadership,” Ragasa said. “After A Women, I was able to build knowledge about how women work, what our rights are.” She carried that knowledge back to her community.
“This must be echoed to my district, to my annual conference, especially with the youth, who are most vulnerable with harassment and abuse,” Ragasa shared. She continued, “it's very nice to be part of the working team of a group that values women, that values the rights of every gender, and of course, that values protection and fights for justice, peace, and compassion. I hope and I pray that more young women, especially that attends A Women, will also take part in this call for life.” Her story is one example of how the program continues to nurture leaders. Ragasa is one of the many success stories of A Women. After her initial participation, Ragasa returned as a volunteer, offering technical support, and eventually became part of the A Women leadership team. “Kyla is part of the dream come true of A Women,” De Leon shared, “Because she went through the leadership formation program and now, she’s part of the team.”
A Women’s work is sustained through both partnerships and shared commitment. A Women’s work is supported through funding from the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, alongside programmatic partnerships with organizations such as the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and professionals in mental health and legal services. Through these partnerships, the program remains deeply rooted in United Methodist mission and practice. De Leon shared, “we practice on how we can really embody loving boldly—loving boldly, serving joyfully, leading courageously.” Part of A Women's mission and vision is that it's a volunteer-powered team. Calma expanded, “we are a volunteer-driven organization with programs made possible by the dedication and commitment of our leadership team.” De Leon shared, “Our testimony is ‘we live by grace!’ because we really started with no budget at all. At the beginning it was no budget, no resources, just the passion and that carries us through.” “But because you are connected to this sisterhood and nurturing community, you have the purpose to continue and persist,” she encouraged.
The women of A Women speak about hope not as abstract optimism, but as something grounded in lived experience and shared commitment. They hope for a church where young women are no longer silent about harm, where conversations about sexuality, safety, and rights are no longer taboo, and where leadership is accessible regardless of age, geography, or resources. They envision a future where sisterhood is not symbolic but lived—where women remain connected beyond programs, support one another in personal and public life, and carry what they learn back to their districts, annual conferences, and communities. Their hope is that young women will have the knowledge “about how women work, what our rights are,” and the confidence to echo that knowledge wherever vulnerability exists. Above all, they hope for a world in which girls and young women are not left to work alone on the ground, but are surrounded by nurturing community, equipped to lead courageously, and empowered to continue, persist, and thrive together.
Ragasa spoke of the impact of A Women, sharing, “that's how a woman can change someone's life… helping echo the message to more people. They may not be part officially of the A Women, but as we gain knowledge, we want to echo the good advocacy that this organization holds.” De Leon echoed this reflection, saying, “In the testimonies of these young leaders, they say that they found another venue to explore, express, and also gain their appreciation of their calling through their engagement in the church, in their communities, and even how they engage with the local government and non-government organizations who are advocating for essential justice through social advocacy.”
For the leaders of A Women, hope is not merely an idea—it is the sustaining force behind their work. For A Women, hope is taken very seriously. Their mission and vision began with hope, and their continued impact in the lives of young women is sustained by hope. When asked about their hopes for the future, Calma, Ragasa, and De Leon shared this reflection:
“I would like to see this experience being passed on. It’s a saving grace. Not only for A Women, but also for those who are outside the church, because we also serve communities outside the church. A Women is a safe space, and it's our source of hope. There are times that we feel like situations are hopeless already, but we won't stop hoping, because there are those people who find their hope in this organization. This is more than a program, or a group. It envisions a life-driven, all-encompassing community of our people. We see that the church needs to affirm the next generation, not undermining the wisdom and experience of the elders, but as a partnership together to continue this program. We see how creative, innovative, and empowering young people are if you only just give them the space.”
They concluded with a challenge for the wider church: “Maybe that's the challenge to the church... meeting people where they are, beyond theology, beyond doctrines is meeting who and where they are. And that's the essence for me of A Women.”