Women of the 21st Century Transcend to Break Free
MANDALUYONG CITY (March 8, 2021). – March is Women’s Month, and today’s women transcend to break free from the past. Leading this clarion call for women to break free include Miss World 2013 Megan Young and Miss Trans Global 2020 Mela Habijan.
Together with the community volunteers, Megan and Mela headline Transcend by LoveYourself’s women empowerment segment of its latest campaign, #BreakFreePH. This campaign hopes to inspire ciswomen and transgender people to fight off the stigma surrounding sexual health and ensure their holistic well-being. Women deserve to be taken care of and respected even for their sexual health choices.
Filipinos should also continually welcome newer perspectives and create more inclusive actions for all genders. Megan and Mela, whose purposes are beyond their beauty and title, aim to enable voiceless women to break free from any form of abuse, discrimination, and violence.
In the #BreakFreePH campaign video (http://bit.ly/MeganBreakFreePH), Megan emphasized that society is never just a man’s world and that empowered women are no different. As women of the 21st century, “We are not limited by our sex and physical built,” Megan stressed.
Mela, a woman of trans experience, underscored that trans women are valid and refuse to be seen differently. She mentioned that transgender people can fulfill roles regardless of gender, such as being parents, having a business, or being in anything they choose to pursue.
Mela highlighted that trans people definitely exist as an essential part of the country’s developing society. “We are not limited by our gender transition,” she firmly said on another #BreakFreePH campaign video (http://bit.ly/MelaBreakFreePH).
Lastly, the #BreakFreePH also discussed gender-related socio-political issues concerning all women like physical abuse, verbal assault, rape, hate crimes, psychological violence, and killings.
Aside from women empowerment, the #BreakFreePH campaign has three more pillars: sexual health, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and women and trans health services under Victoria by LoveYourself community center.
HIV advocate Janlee Dungca, Cebuana vlogger Alem Garcia and trans man Nick Escalderon will also take part in the campaign to promote the holistic well-being of trans people, especially for their gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and health-related issues about transitioning.
Transcend by LoveYourself was established in 2020 to address the lack of services catered for trans health issues such as biomedical transitioning and ciswomen’s sexual concerns. It was finally made into fruition in view of expanding the services offered in the country’s first community-led transgender health center called Victoria by LoveYourself. This community center offers free gender-sensitive HIV testing and transition counseling and consultation services, among others.
We have always followed the Final Q&A of Miss Universe and how the eventual winner of each year delivered her answer on the way to the crown. For today, let us review Miss World and how the titleholders from 2008 to 2019 (Ksenia Sukhinova to Toni-Ann Singh) handled their final speeches or questions that sealed the victory for each one of them.
I was pleased when Gabriela attended the Miss Russia 2014 finals with our very own Miss World 2013 Megan Young (left photo). But I was more pleased when she travelled to the Philippines to raise funds for the Typhoon Yolanda victims – something which brought her even closer to the hearts of the Filipinos.
Last January, 2019, Gabriela was brought to the Philippines once more by Miss World Philippines Organization National Director Arnold Vegafria to check on potential career opportunities in local showbiz. I’m not certain if talks and negotiations prospered, but it was a joy to see her in the flesh once more. 
Miss World 2013 Megan Young returned to a hero’s welcome in the country. And despite the rains last October 11, the people came out in droves to wave and cheer the achievememt. Julia Morley was also on Cloud 9 at the time, seeing how rapturous and overwhelming the homecoming parade turned out. She was definitely pleased with giving us the crown at just the right time.
You should already know by now that our Miss World 2013 Megan Young will be co-hosting the Finals of Miss World 2019 that will take place at ExCel London this coming Saturday, December 14.
If you missed the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Philippine Arena, eleven of our international beauty queens paraded with the eleven participating nations in the biennial regional sporting event that drew a full house in the gigantic venue.
