Dr. Gay Marie M. Francisco completed her doctoral studies in Politics and International Relations at University of Auckland (UoA), New Zealand, as a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholar. She also finished her Master of Public Policy at UoA as a New Zealand ASEAN scholar. Her current research interests include women’s representation, informal institutions, and transnational relations. She currently works as a Research Fellow at the Public Policy Institute at UoA. Gay has years of experience in the education, corporate, and non-profit sectors in the Philippines. Before starting her PhD studies, she was the executive director of the Muntinlupa Development Foundation, working with urban poor communities. She also acted as the director of communication for the Bato Balani Foundation Inc (BBFI), a corporate foundation focused on education development programmes in the Philippines.