Hollywood A-list actor Charlize Theron is unquestionably the real-life heroine we see her portray in movies with her philanthropic work, entrepreneurial ventures, and stance on women empowerment and the youth.
Theron shared her life experiences as a mother, philanthropist, producer, and entrepreneur during her sit-down interview with PLDT FVP and Head of Group Corporate Communications Cathy Yap-Yang during the recent streaming of the Philippine Digicon 2021, an annual gathering of telco and technology industry leaders, organized by PLDT Enterprise.
Just as in numerous movies where she played the strong-willed female lead, Theron does in fact have heroic feats under her belt in real life. A UN Ambassador for Peace, mother of two, and founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTOAP) South Africa, Theron shares how inspirational her work is in their organization – helping change the lives of so many young people through education, and battling health crisis such as HIV and now with the COVID-19.
Theron recalls how she was moved by the HIV/AIDS plight of South Africa, recounting how “Once you’ve personally experienced those things it’s really hard, kind of not being proactive, especially in something that is 100 percent preventable. Knowing that there was maybe an entire younger generation that was not going to have access to that simple life-saving information.”
Because of COVID-19, Theron’s foundation has doubled up its efforts in helping the vulnerable communities in South Africa already living with HIV to have access to vaccines.
Other than battling an epidemic, Theron’s foundation also gave focus on supporting South African youth by providing communities access to information and education in the hopes of giving them a better future.
“When young girls and young boys get that further education, no matter where they go in the world, a lot of those experiences will come back into their communities,” she shared.
Theron’s advice to women leaders in the business industry is to “be resilient, find your crew, find your team, find and surround yourself with people who make you better, who challenge you, who push you. I think understanding the value of leadership is not something that happens in a vacuum; doesn’t happen with one person.”
The Philippine Digicon 2021 was a three-day event staged by PLDT Enterprise, which featured experts and key figures in the telecoms sector and technology space. Philippine Digicon 2021 was broadcast to over 5,000 delegates from various companies around the world.