Behind every empowered woman is… herself
Behind every great man is a great woman,” so goes the 19th-century cliché.
But with groups like the Zonta International, whose worldwide battle cry is to “build a better world for women and girls,” you could say that behind every empowered woman is herself—and the other women who have empowered her to be the best she could be.
At the installation of Annabelle Chavez as the president of Zonta Club Makati-Ayala for 2026-2028, the feisty lawyer Lorna Kapunan, a past area director of the club and an advocate for women’s rights, turned tearful as she pleaded, “When we encounter injustice, we must never convince ourselves that nothing can be done. Someone can do something. Something can be done. Let injustice end and let that someone ending injustice be you and me and all of us together in Zonta.”
“Let us speak for women, but also create spaces where women can speak for themselves. We must create that space where women, the women we work with, can speak for themselves. Let us protect children, but also teach them that they possess rights,” she stressed.
It was the first time I had seen her break down publicly.
Zonta International past president Olivia Ferry, the only Filipina to hold such a distinction and the night’s guest speaker, likened the club to an “orchestra,” where every member is an instrument to a symphony of goals.
“Leadership is not a solo performance,” said Ms. Ferry.
“A leader is much like the conductor of an orchestra, who does not make the music alone, but brings together many different musicians and helps them create something none of them could create by themselves,” she pointed out
Zonta International is an international service organization founded in 1919 in New York by a group of businesswomen. To become a member of Zonta International, one must be of high standing in her career field.
“Even the finest conductor in the world cannot make music without musicians. And even the most talented musicians cannot produce a symphony if everyone decides to play a different piece. For Zonta, that music is our mission: to build a better world for women and girls. So, let us never forget for whom we are making that music,” she reminded the officers and members of ZCMA in a barrio-fiesta themed dinner at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Hall.
“If all our planning, rehearsing and performing do not ultimately make a difference in their lives, then we may have made a great deal of sound —but we have missed the purpose of the music,” she said.
She said club members, like orchestra members, need to attend “rehearsals.”
“Successful clubs need members who are not simply on the roster, but in the room,” she explained.
“A conductor’s job is not to make the music herself. It is to bring out the best in every musician. And so it is with leadership. The best leader does not make herself indispensable. She develops people who can eventually lead without her,” she stressed.
Turning to the new president Annabelle, Ms. Ferry said, “The baton is now in your hands, Madam President. Lead us well. But remember — you do not have to make the music alone. You have an entire orchestra ready to play with you.”
And addressing the members, she said they have an equally important role in the symphony of leadership.
“Watch the conductor. Know your part. Come to rehearsal!”
In closing, Rita Dy, a past ZCMA president, said, “Let me highlight that tonight is only the start-up sample! The real work and the real excitement begin now. As ZCMA moves toward its 40th year, may we carry this energy forward: honoring the women who built this club, welcoming the women and men who will take it further, and continuing to find new and meaningful ways to build a better world for women and girls.”
“The Zonta fever continues—and so does the party!”
And the band continued playing…
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