The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) vowed to work together in pursuing gender equality and women's empowerment in the environment sector.
In a virtual signing ceremony on Oct. 29, the two agencies forged a partnership that aims to fully mainstream Gender and Development (GAD) in DENR's programs, activities, and projects.
The partnership will ensure that gender perspectives are integrated with environmental concerns, such as environmental management, disasters, calamities, and other situations pursuant to Section 10 of the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710).
PCW Executive Director Atty. Kristine Rosary E. Yuzon-Chaves stressed the role of DENR in integrating gender-responsive programs that interweave gender and environment concerns.
“PCW commits to support DENR in your gender mainstreaming journey so that implementation will go beyond compliance and more importantly, ensure the gender responsiveness of the agency’s programs, projects, activities, and services, so that these will redound to positive impacts on the lives of its duty bearers and clients, especially on women and girls,” Yuzon-Chaves said.
DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems, and Climate Change Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh expressed optimism on how the partnership can influence DENR's efforts to mainstream gender, their use of gender analysis tools, and their utilization of the GAD budget.
“The partnership is bound to change the way we, in DENR, think and go about assessing the state and requirements of gender mainstreaming, prioritizing those that warrant attention from both agencies,” Atty. Rebuelta-Teh said.
The partnership will serve as a key in addressing remaining gender gaps in the environment sector, including (1) lack of capacity of GAF Focal Point Systems members and program implementers to fully integrate gender perspectives in agency projects, activities, and programs; (2) low utilization of the budget to implement GAD-related programs, activities and projects as stipulated under Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women; and (3) need to ensure gender-responsiveness of capacity development modules for the environment and natural resources officers, especially for supervisors and managers who will have the responsibility to address gender issues in environmental management concerns.
The PCW-DENR partnership is set until October 31, 2022, subject to the extension or renewal of both partners.