The coffee industry has long thrived on community, sustaining farmers, connecting professionals, and creating third places for coffee lovers. And yet, the gender gap prevails in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Women, especially in farming and production, are often at a disadvantage when it comes to income, resources, and leadership opportunities.But there is good news: Change can come from anywhere, and it is already happening. Everyone, from leaders to consumers, have opportunities to show support in different ways.
At Plain Sight’s Women in Coffee, we’re offering the space for people from all walks of life to start the conversation on how we can uplift women in the coffee industry. This year, we’ve invited cafe owners and homebrewers to share their unique stories and show how women can succeed in a male-dominated industry. But individual success isn’t enough—true equality happens when everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
We asked a few inspiring women from the Filipino coffee scene about their vision for gender equality in the industry and how we can use our own success to help others:
Yasmin Lorenzo
Barista
“We can begin empowering women in the coffee industry by sharing our stories, knowledge, and experiences. By offering insights from our own journeys, we help illuminate paths that others may not yet see, providing new perspectives and inspiring them to move forward with confidence, trusting where their coffee adventure is taking them. We never truly know the impact our truths have on others, so it’s vital to share the narratives that need to be told—our own and those of other women. Remembering our why and being of service to something bigger than ourselves reminds us of the deeper purpose behind everything we do.”
Tita Aey
Homebrewer and content creator
“For me, success is very personal, we all have our own definition of success that maybe different from others. But, in the event that there are women who has similar goals that you have, it’s really about sharing what you know. For me if someone relates to my success what I can do for them is provide the resources and knowledge that I know. Creating a warm and accessible community is also another one, the feeling of “you’re not alone” and “we got your back” is important to uplift confidence. And the most important of all, let’s not bring each other down, let’s create a safe space for women, being a support system plays a crucial role in uplifting women in the community.”
Iana Peralta
Homebrewer and content creator
“We can use our success to uplift other women in the coffee community by actively encouraging and supporting them to step into more opportunities, such as coffee competitions, leadership roles, and skill development programs. Representation matters, and when more women participate and succeed, it inspires others to do the same. Mentorship, sharing knowledge, and creating inclusive spaces where women feel empowered to grow and showcase their talents are also key to fostering a more balanced and diverse coffee community.”
Rina Inguengan
Homebrewer and content creator
“Gender equality in coffee means providing equal opportunities for everyone to showcase their talents, regardless of gender expression.”
Lica Valdez
SCA Sensory Professional
”I have never seen my success in such a lofty way. I like to work silently (as much as I can in this day and age) and do my job right. And for a really long time, I didn’t think it was very important for people to know what I was doing as a person in the industry. But many times, I’ve been approached by strangers who have thanked me for my contributions (small or big, and sometimes in great detail) and I see now that it’s not just about what I have done and what I can do. To many people, I’ve proven (and many great and admirable women before me) that being a lady professional in the industry is possible. And they too can aspire to do great things for themselves and coffee as a whole.”
Jo Almanzor
Barista
“Equality is visible in safe spaces. When and if an industry gives access to and empowers all of the people involved in the chain, the next step is to ensure that people are safe—that rights are protected and that all have access to their needs without discrimination or biases, with equity in mind. Accessibility and awareness are important initial steps towards a collective effort to ensure that everyone is given room: to be included in making the necessary decisions that affect them, to be heard when doors open regarding difficult conversations, and to be respected and treated humanely as people and not just valued for the work they produce. It is important to not just give women avenues to do “what men can also do” but to allow them to do whatever they want to do for themselves. So long as the standard is simply to look at male privilege and aim only for that, then it is a short-term empowerment. Equality is a long-term goal for communities to work together for all people.”
At Plain Sight, we’re honored to host Women in Coffee, a space that fosters meaningful conversations in the community. With this, we’re able to share knowledge, give a voice to the unrepresented, and learn from other people’s journeys. Whether you’re a cafe owner, barista, homebrewer or consumer, your contributions—big or small—create a lasting impact.
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