“The significant role you play realizes the Department’s role in GAD’s vision of a gender responsive organization and our mission to provide safe, reliable, and inclusive projects through gender-responsive programs and projects”, said Acting Undersecretary for Planning Service Constante A. Llanes, Jr., CESO III, during a recent online seminar/workshop on Gender Mainstreaming and Evaluation Framework via Zoom.
The three-day orientation aims to assess the Department of Public Works and Highways' Gender Mainstreaming Goals Development, Gender Responsive Program, and Gender & Development efforts in addressing gender issues and gaps in relation to GAD plans and programs. It gives a holistic view of mainstreaming implementation in order to track the Department's performance and progress in accordance with the provisions of the Magna Carta of Women. The GMEF tool helps the GFPS assess our progress in gender mainstreaming and identify areas for improvement.
Acting Undersecretary for Planning Service Constante A. Llanes, Jr., CESO III, gave the introductory remarks at the training session. He compared this year’s workshop to earlier GMEF trainings, which focused on improving participants' GFPS traits and also improving methodologies - ensuring that our work reflects Gender perspective. He requested assistance from GFPS in determining how participants might help in strengthening GAD programs, activities, and projects in order to speed the attainment of gender equality in the communities we serve. He expects that as a result of this training, a stronger GAD advocacy would be formed, one that transcends beyond the confines of the training to achieve the DPWH GAD purpose and vision.
Participants were also introduced by Ms. Rosemarie B. del Rosario, DSD, Division Chief of Environmental and Social Safeguards Division. Two participants from each regional office were invited, one is permanent, the other one is alternate.
The training was attended by 77 people, with 14 men and 63 women representing the DPWH-ESSD Secretariat, Services, Bureaus, UPMO clusters, Regional Office Permanent and Alternate GFPS.
Ms. Maricar Rovira-Chan, Gender and Social Development Specialist of the Asian Development Bank's Mindanao Irrigation Development Project, was invited as a resource speaker during the three-day program. She is also a member of the GAD Resource Pool of the Philippine Commission on Women, which assists organizations in mainstreaming gender and development.
Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework, a gender analysis and gender monitoring tool that examines an agency's performance in terms of mainstreaming gender and development concerns, was introduced by the speaker. A pre-test was given to the participants before the actual session to assess their knowledge of GMEF. The expanded Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework was also discussed. Workshops were also offered to participants, which tested their understanding and application of the tool. Lastly, GMEF Assessment outcomes were translated with the guidance of the resource speaker.
With the help of the facilitators and the resource speaker, the participants eagerly participated throughout the workshop and at the plenary presentation and validation.
Ms. Reggie Marie S. Gabales, EnP, OIC - Section Chief SSGAD, gave the closing remarks at the course.