Cebu Tech Bantayan initiated a seminar-workshop on “Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines” last February 16, 2023. The seminar was hosted by Mr. Lloyd Cymbeline C. Orbeta and was attended by the faculty and staff of the university.
The seminar started with a welcome address by Dr. Marjorie L. Zanoria, who emphasized the importance of understanding the role of gender in development and the need to address gender-related issues. She also mentioned that the seminar would provide a platform to discuss strategies and best practices for implementing gender-inclusive policies.
Mr. June T. Dela Cerna stated the purpose and discussed the seminar’s objectives, which included enhancing knowledge and skills on gender and development, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and mainstreaming gender into development programs and policies. He also discussed using Harmonized Gender Development Guideline and the GAD Score on Research Papers, highlighting their importance in tertiary education.
The resource speaker, the University Director for Gender and Development (GAD), Professor Marlou C. Godinez, began her presentation by defining gender and development and discussed the relationship between the two. She emphasized the need to mainstream gender into all development programs and policies and the use of the Harmonized Gender Development Guideline for budget, research, and extension. She also discussed the HGDG Generic and Sector-Specific Checklists for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Prof. Godinez also stressed the importance of gender analysis in assessing the differential impact of development programs and policies on men and women. She discussed the strategies and best practices for mainstreaming gender into development programs and policies, including gender-sensitive planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation. She emphasized the importance of involving women and other marginalized groups in decision-making.
In the latter part of her presentation, she provided some examples of successful gender-inclusive programs worldwide. These examples highlighted the importance of gender-responsive planning and the need for gender-sensitive indicators to measure the impact of development programs.
The seminar workshop on “Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines” was an informative and engaging event. It provided a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts, principles, and strategies for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in development programs. The event provided a platform for networking and sharing best practices. The attendees left the event with a deeper understanding of the importance of gender mainstreaming in ensuring inclusive and equitable development for all.
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Words by Girlie Farriolaย
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