BEYOND BUDGET

Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. And to our Muslim brothers and sisters, Ramadan Mubarak.

I am truly excited to serve as Head of the Philippine Delegation (HOD) at the United Nations’ 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW68) happening this week at the heart of the UN in New York City. For those unfamiliar with CSW, it is a global intergovernmental body that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment. It meets annually in New York to discuss progress, identify challenges, and set policies.

With the theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective,” CSW68 promises to be fulfilling and significant as we join like-minded states in pushing for the gender and development (GAD) agenda.

Being a girl from the small city of Marawi in Mindanao, where women struggle to get an education, employment, healthcare, and other opportunities, and now as the only female member of the Philippine Economic Team and the only Muslim woman in the Cabinet, I stand representing all the women in the Philippines whose rights we must protect and promote. Hence, I am honored to continue the mission of the great women who walked this path before me.

Thus, during the general discussion, where I delivered the Philippine Statement, I expressed that our country, represented by His Excellency Antonio Lagdameo, holds the chairing of the CSW68 in high esteem. It is reminiscent of the Philippines’ chairship in 1995 when the CSW played a crucial role as the preparatory committee for the negotiations on the draft Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), which listed “Women and Poverty” as the first in its 12 areas of concern. With the 30th anniversary of the BPfA next year, I believe it is an opportune time to reflect on our progress towards gender equality and women empowerment.

Hence, I highlighted that the Philippines has made significant strides in promoting the rights of women and girls from different sectors, including the enactment of the Magna Carta of Women in 2009 a comprehensive anti-discrimination and gender-equality law. This is further operationalized and translated into meaningful and targeted outcomes through the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019 to 2025. Further, government agencies have been allocating at least five percent of their budget to support programs and activities on GEWE since 1995. In 2022, we spent an estimated US$18.9 billion on gender programs.

The Philippine government has also mainstreamed gender into social protection initiatives through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which provides cash grants to millions of eligible households; the setting up of nationwide evacuation centers to cater to women and girls during disasters; the establishment of the Bangsamoro Women Commission, which integrates gender initiatives into the Bangsamoro Region’s Priority Agenda; and providing a venue for women in the public sector and civil society to join in the promotion of a gender-fair and open government.

At the welcome dinner for HODs, I emphasized the importance of women’s participation especially in climate change, peace, and security efforts, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), underscoring the success of peace efforts led by women. Thus, I proudly announced the Philippines’ hosting of an International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security in Manila in October. Further, I believe that our unwavering commitment to multilateralism is fully expressed in our bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2027-2028, as PBBM declared before the UN General Assembly in September 2022. Indeed, by empowering women, we lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive and lasting peace.”

Meanwhile, at the Ministerial Roundtable on Mobilizing Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls: Policies and Strategies to End Women’s and Girl’s Poverty, I reiterated our country’s unwavering commitment as a partner in poverty eradication, acceleration of gender equality, and empowerment of all women and girls, as reflected in our Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028 and GEWE Plan. I was pleased to also share our GAD mainstreaming milestones, which, aside from the ones I already stated, include providing loan access to 68 percent of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises’ women entrepreneurs. Our government also provides science-based scholarships to address gendered poverty. Additionally, a significant portion of our national budget has been allotted to support the health and nutrition of pregnant and lactating mothers and deliver culturally appropriate gender-sensitive socio-economic services, monitored through gender budget tagging. Recently, the Philippines signed the 2024 to 2028 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework that prioritizes joint initiatives for human capital development, inclusion, and resilience building.

As our country’s second woman Budget Secretary, I am proud to say that the Philippines’ support for women and girls is intersectoral and all-encompassing. Thus, through collaborative efforts and targeted interventions, we are determined to break the chains of poverty and empower them at all levels.

Beyond budget, I believe our nation has accomplished much to empower women and promote gender equality. But there is more to be done. With the nation's long history of promoting gender equality and women's empowerment within the framework of the UN, we, in the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, therefore, hope that, through the power of dialogue at CSW68, we will be able to bring hope, change, and impact for women and girls everywhere.

(Amenah F. Pangandaman is the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.)