In a bid to improve policies that uphold women’s rights and gender equality in Pasig City, stakeholders in the local government met to discuss and prepare its local gender and development (GAD) agenda.

Members of the GAD Executive Committee and Technical Working Group (TWG) conducted a three-day seminar on March 6 to 8 to formulate its GAD Strategic Framework (GADSF) and develop its three-year GAD Agenda.

Through the strategic planning workshop, the local government aimed to make gender responsive programs, projects, and activities that would promote and integrate gender equality and inclusion in the city.

It focused on identifying a focal point system which the local government can utilize in effectively crafting policies and ensuring compliance with its future implementation.

The meetings were led by the GAD office, City Councilor Corazon “Corie” Raymundo, and Raymond Jay Mazo, a representative from the National GAD Resource Pool of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).

(Pasig PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)

According to the PCW, the GAD Agenda is the “agency’s strategic framework and plan for gender mainstreaming and achieving gender equality and women's empowerment outcomes.” It is applied and adopted by local governments across the country to facilitate institutional change through the promotion and provision of equal rights and opportunities among people of all genders.

It is guided by Republic Act No. 9710 or the “Magna Carta of Women,” the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development 1995-2025, and the PCW’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Plan 2019-2025.

The framework also comes with a complimentary plan to resolve or address the gender issues facing the city’s communities such as responsible parenthood, maternal deaths, discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons, and violence against women and children (VAWC).

Among the goals cited in the workshop were “to provide gender responsive health and social services to Pasiguenos by 2028, establish accurate impact analyses of all GAD programs by the end of 2024, and increase the competency of GAD implementors by 2024.”

Those who participated in the meetings also noted the improvement of database management systems in gender responsive services, as well as the strengthened information, education, and communication campaigns on gender-focused programs.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, and City Councilor Pao Santiago met with the participants on the last day of the workshop.

Sotto vowed to push for gender equality, noting the active participation of Pasiguenas in city affairs, especially during National Women’s Month.

“Sana ay patuloy nating itaguyod ang isang lipunan kung saan may gender equality, at inklusibo po tayo. Patuloy din nating itaguyod ang karapatan [ng mga kababaihan] (I hope we continue to uphold a society that is inclusive, has gender equality, and respects the rights of women),” Sotto said.