Meet advocate and entrepreneur Christine Amour-Levar, founder and CEO of HER Planet Earth and member of the Robb Report Singapore Thought Leaders community
It’s impossible to not think of Christine Amour-Levar’s trajectory in anything other than superlative terms. Growing up in the Philippines, a country beset by one of the highest rates of income equality in the world, she has emerged as a philanthropist and social entrepreneur with a tremendously empathetic heart.
Truly, Amour-Levar puts the ‘out’ in outreach. To date, she has led 21 successful expeditions to sites spanning the globe, a feat that hasn’t hindered her from also being a published author. In 2012 she founded Women on a Mission to support and empower women who have been subjected to violence and abuse, and in 2017, she founded HER Planet Earth, a global non-profit women’s advocacy movement for gender equality and environmental conservation. Both organisations have collectively raised an impressive US$2 million in funds so far.
“I am motivated by the chance to have a positive impact on the world”, she says, affirming that when your heart is in the best place, the margin of what is ‘impossible’ becomes emphatically slimmer.
What do we need to know about gender inequality?
Women are disproportionately affected and more vulnerable when it comes to armed conflict, sexual violence, climate change and pandemics, even. However, what is encouraging and inspiring to me, is that all the data points to the fact that women are a huge part of the solution. And the more we empower, educate and champion women, the better it bodes for the world.
How do you envision your professional space looking in the future, and what’s one thing people need to get right about it?
The philanthropy industry has been undergoing significant changes and evolution. Technology plays a crucial role with data-driven approaches helping donors and organisations make informed decisions and measure impact effectively. There’s a shift towards addressing root causes and promoting systemic change rather than focusing solely on symptoms.
What is a misconception about philanthropy?
That it is solely driven by wealthy individuals or large foundations. It is essential to recognise that the industry encompasses a much broader range of donors and participants.
What is success to you now?
Today, success to me means having options. It means working on initiatives that I am deeply passionate about not because I have to be, but because I can be and I enjoy them. It means choosing the projects I put time and energy towards and selecting them because they align with my values completely.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Healing powers: the ability to heal oneself and others. I think it would be a profound gift to alleviate suffering, cure diseases, and improve the overall well-being of individuals.
Photography by Eugene Lee, Enfinite Studio
Hair & Makeup by Sophia and Victoria, Suburbs Studio
