THE PHILIPPINE Commission on Women (PCW) on Tuesday said the government integrates a gender equality perspective into its programs to encourage meaningful participation and economic empowerment of women.
During the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in Bangkok, Thailand, PCW Officer-In-Charge Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado said the Philippines, which is currently the chair of CSW68, puts gender mainstreaming at the core of its approach in implementing human development, poverty reduction, and social protection programs.
"Our commitment to gender equality is reflected in the strategic outcomes and strategies of both the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019-2025," Magundayao-Borlado said.
She said the GEWE plan, in particular, concretizes the country's commitment to fully implement its comprehensive women’s human rights law, the Magna Carta of Women, and fast-track the achievement of international commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment, “particularly those under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA); the UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) on Women, Peace and Security, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
She cited the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Conditional Cash Transfer) as an example of incorporating a gender perspective in policies, in which cash grants are provided to poor households upon investments in the education and health of children and the availment of maternal health services to address intergenerational poverty.
Other examples, she said, are the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) and Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program, which aim to promote women’s engagement in non-traditional jobs and community activities, enhancing their access to resources and services.
She said that in recognition of the critical role of women entrepreneurs, various programs and activities, including credit programs, have also been tailored to their needs.
"In terms of the provision of government loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises, 62 percent of borrowers are female-owned enterprises. Furthermore, gender criteria and indicators have been integrated into labor inspection procedures, ensuring a women-friendly and violence-free work environment," she said.
She said the government has implemented a "gender-responsive budgeting" for three decades, ensuring the allocation and utilization of government funds, including those from official development assistance, for women and gender equality policies, programs, and services across all government agencies.
"The Philippines has also established a Gender and Development Focal Point System in all government ministries and adopted a resolution to systematize the generation of gender statistics to support evidence-based policy-making and programming," she said.
In terms of international collaboration, she said the Philippines and the United Nations recently signed the 2024-2028 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the Philippines in October 2023.
Under this framework, she said the Philippine government and the UN have agreed to work on several overarching strategic outcomes, one of which is human capital development, inclusion, and resilience building.
"To achieve this outcome, the Philippines will continue to intensify employment programs for the marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable sectors, including women and girls, to ensure that no one is left behind," Magundayao-Borlado said.
"The Philippines remains a committed partner in contributing to poverty eradication, the acceleration of gender equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls," she added.
The priority theme of CSW68 is 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. ( Filane Mikee Cervantes)
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