The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officially launched month-long activities and programs on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 in celebration of the National Women’s Month – enacted through Presidential Proclamation 227, series of 1988.
The annual celebration focused on the theme “WE Make CHANGE Work for Women: Agenda ng Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran,” to emphasize the huge contributions of women towards achieving social and economic developments.
According to Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral, Chairperson of the DPWH Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System, two of the programs that will be launched in line with the celebration are: Men Supporting Gender Equality (MSGE) and DPWH Women’s Desk – Free Legal Assistance and Response for Employees (FLARE) Program, in partnership with Legal Service and DPWH Central Office Employees Union (COEU).
“These are just some of the various activities we’ll be implementing, not just to maintain our support to all the women in this field, but also to set higher standards for respecting and honoring women; their profession, contributions, and personal sacrifices, in order to help DPWH deliver national development objectives while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Undersecretary Cabral.
Another member of DPWH Gender and Development Focal Point System Executive Committee, DPWH Undersecretary Ardeliza R. Medenilla, highlighted the importance of Women’s Month celebration as it serves as a reminder of women’s contribution to the society.
“We would like to see the day when we no longer need to celebrate Women’s month because that will be the day that we’ve attained gender equality,” said Undersecretary Medenilla.
As an awardee of the prestigious 2018 GADTimpala Award, DPWH continues to uphold and implement women-empowering programs in the agency and incorporates gender-responsive initiatives in all infrastructure projects nationwide.