Sister Mary John Mananzan is Women Deliver 100 honoree

Sister Mary John Mananzan, founder and executive director of the Institute of Women’s Studies at St. Scholastica’s College, is one of the honorees of Women Deliver 100, a list of one hundred most inspiring people in the world.

The Filipina nun was cited for “integrating feminism into faith in the Philippines.”

A full report for Women Deliver 100, which can be downloaded from its official site, details how the St. Scholastica prioress delivers for women, as follows:

• As a Missionary Benedictine sister, Mananzan has led the way in integrating feminist activism into Catholic faith.
• She was a pioneer in the field of women’s studies, founding the program at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, one of the Phillippines’ most prestigious and progressive colleges for women.
• She has been instrumental in developing a feminist and a third-world theology within the Catholic Church, criticizing the Church for being hierarchical and male-dominated. In her writing, she has highlighted the particular oppression of third world women through violence and gender discrimination.
• In her groundbreaking career, Mananzan has worked to empower women and to combat injustice and oppression wherever she finds it –whether within the political system, or at the hands of the church.

Women Deliver 100 list, which includes former first lady and now US secretary of state Hillary Clinton who was given recognition for being “a role model to millions and a relentless advocate for women worldwide,” honors men and women, both prominent and lesser known, who have committed themselves to improving the lives of girls and women around the world.

The 100 honorees, derived from the fields of health, human rights, politics, economics, education, journalism, and philanthropy, and represent a great diversity of geographic and cultural backgrounds were selected from among hundreds of potentials and feature some of the most intrepid, committed, and results-driven people in the world, the document revealed.

The list and full report are available here.

Background

Sister Mary John Mananzan together with other nuns joined the rallies during the 1986 People Power Revolution. She was the nun seen on EDSA 1 documentary videos who bravely stood at the frontlines facing the tanks of the military armed with only rosaries and flowers.

She is also known as Co-Founder and National Chairperson of Gabriela women's party-list group.