Josefa “Gigi” Francisco, In Remembrance

UN Women joins women’s and feminist organizations over the world in mourning the loss of Josefa “Gigi” Francisco, a passionate advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. With heavy hearts, we offer our condolences to Gigi’s friends and family and assure them that Gigi will be remembered and her work will continue.

Through teaching and writing, sharing of her insights and technical expertise, tireless networking and campaigning, careful nurturing of students and young feminist activists, raising her own family and building friendships across the world, Gigi devoted a large part of her life working for social justice and the realization of women’s rights.

Gigi was a member of the Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era (DAWN) and served as its Global Coordinator from 2008 to 2014. DAWN is a global network of feminist activists and thinkers who are championing the voice and perspectives of women from the global South, offering feminist political economy critiques and policy prescriptions on a wide range of social and economic issues including reproductive and sexual rights, sustainable development, macro-economics and peace and security. Under Gigi’s leadership, UN Women worked closely with DAWN and in the Asia Pacific region, partnered on the Post 2015 consultations leading to the publication of “ The Future the Asia Pacific Women Want”.Gigi was also a member of the faculty of the Miriam College, an institution devoted to developing women and girls’ leadership, chairing its International Affairs Department for many years. UN Women called upon Gigi time and time again for guidance, technical support and leadership, as we sought to accelerate the achievement of gender equality in partnership with the women’s movement in the Philippines.

While we recall Gigi’s contributions to the advancement of feminism and development alternatives, we also will remember her warmth and humor, her quick wit, her tenacity and determination, her amazing ability to multi task and to work with people from different cultures, her unwavering commitment to the cause of women of the Global South, her boundless energy and love for life. She was simply an exceptional woman who made this a much better world.

In celebrating Gigi’s life, we also rededicate ourselves to her vision of a better world for all.