AXA Philippines keeps the culture of volunteerism alive by advancing women’s protection and empowerment at the recent AXA Week for Good. The week-long engagement is a global, AXA-wide initiative where employees come together by offering their time and skills to champion various social impact initiatives. The women-centric initiatives support the company’s global sustainability pillars of inclusive protection and climate change and biodiversity.
The insurer has a long history of supporting causes and devoting time and resources to programs that protect women, their families, and their businesses. Through the AXA Group’s international volunteering program “AXA Hearts in Action”, the company maintains a strong sense of corporate social responsibility across all its entities. The program has been instrumental in uniting the organization as One AXA in working towards a better future and helping vulnerable communities globally. The global insurer has also taken steps in increasing women’s access to insurance products and services through the “Women in Insurance” initiative among other ongoing campaigns and community programs for women.
AXA Philippines CEO Bernardo Rafael Serrano Lopez sees a greater purpose in their role as insurance providers.
“Beyond contributing to the business, we are on a mission to empower people to live better lives. Putting the spotlight on women this year lets us fulfill that mission while becoming a trusted partner for women everywhere”.
AXA Philippines CEO Bernardo Rafael Serrano
AXA Philippines has championed women-centric volunteer activities. A total 1,200 hygiene kits were donated, exceeding the initial target of 1,000, to women beneficiaries in Binangonan, Rizal; Paco, Manila; and Cardona, Rizal.
The beneficiaries also received 414 liters of dishwashing soap made by the volunteers. This is in line with AXA’s goal of providing livelihood assistance and empowering more women to become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses.
In the Philippines, only 313,608 out of all registered businesses in the country belong to women. This is nearly 30 percent of the 1.08 million registered establishments based on Philippine Statistics Authority data. The global numbers are not too far given that in 2020 only 33 percent of business owners were women, according to the World Bank.
A hair donation drive was also dedicated to women facing hair loss due to medical conditions. The donated hair will be transformed into high-quality wigs, allowing the women to regain their confidence.
This year, AXA Week for Good in the Philippines witnessed the dedication from 513 volunteers who devoted 553 hours spent in 682 acts of volunteerism, making an impact on the communities they served.
“The immense success of this year’s AXA Week for Good stemmed from the collective passion and dedication of all the volunteers. We look forward to witnessing the continuity of our purpose-driven programs and offerings with the rest of AXA Philippines in the years to come,” Lopez said.
