Jo “Jean” Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, is not only a staunch advocate for women’s rights, but also a proud defender of the Filipino identity. For Enriquez, simply existing as a morena is a powerful stand against racial and cultural erasure. “So many Filipinos are brown-skinned, and it’s important to be proud of that,” she says, emphasizing the need to embrace and uplift the Filipino race on a global scale.

However, life wasn’t always so empowering for this morena, mainly in her youth when even her own siblings would single her out for being the “brown one” in the family. “When I was younger, it did affect me, but my schoolmates and my teachers had respect for me because when we express ourselves intelligently, it commands respect,” Enriquez recalls. This, for her, was the key to overcoming insecurities about her skin color that others might project onto her. Rather than succumbing to comparisons based on appearance, Enriquez learned early on to value and celebrate her authenticity. “I never strove to change the way I look, especially the color of my skin,” she affirms. And it’s precisely this self-assurance, this unyielding commitment to staying true to herself, that continues to fuel her advocacy and her fight for justice.

Enriquez is unequivocal about the progress being made in the fight against trafficking, even as she remains realistic about the monumental challenges still ahead. Having represented the Philippines in numerous international spaces, she’s seen firsthand how far-reaching the issue of trafficking is—affecting various sectors and involving a wide array of stakeholders. Enriquez points to the passage of the Philippines’ Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, an act she herself drafted, as a pivotal moment in setting a clear public standard that women and children are not commodities for sale. However, she insists that while legal frameworks have improved, there’s still so much work to be done, particularly in shifting public perceptions and educating law enforcement on the true meaning of the law. “It means shifting the blame away from victim-survivors and towards those who are exploiting them,” she asserts. 

Sandro Dela Peña top. Burlô by Vestido earrings. Photo: Artu Nepomuceno.

“For Enriquez, simply existing as a morena is a powerful stand against racial and cultural erasure.”

As the executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking Women-Asia-Pacific, Enriquez is a staunch advocate for women’s political participation and reproductive rights. Her work goes beyond women’s issues in the Philippines, extending her expertise to South Asia, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. She continues fighting the good fight despite being threatened by abusers. In 2010, she received an award acknowledging her as one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS).

Yet, the work Enriquez champions goes beyond legal reforms. Perhaps most critically, Enriquez advocates for survivor-led programs that place the voices of those directly affected at the heart of recovery and reintegration efforts. She takes note of the limitations of government programs that often offer short-term solutions without the long-term counseling and support survivors need. “A six-month casework would not suffice,” she insists, stressing that the healing process for many survivors is far longer, given the trauma they experienced as children. For this morena, it’s a call to action for more comprehensive, survivor-driven interventions that can be modeled and replicated across government programs to ensure real, lasting change. 

Photographer: Artu Nepomuceno
Makeup: Don de Jesus
Hair: Eddie Mar Cabiltes
Stylist: Steven Coralde of Qurator, assisted by Jia Torrato, Charlotte Sombillo, and Jermainne Lagura.

More like this: