Reg’l Gender and Development body formed
The Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) envisioned as a special body to look into gender issues from a consolidated view, held its organizational meeting, July 31, at the NEDA 6 office.
NEDA 6 Director Ro-Ann Bacal said the organization of the RGADC) is an attempt at institutionalizing gender issues so that better strategic actions can be formulated as response.
Elected to chair and co-chair RGADC respectively were UPV_Ugsad representative Dr. Rosario Asong and DAWN Foundation’s Hon. Celia Flor of Bacolod City Sangguniang Panglungsod.
Unanimously elected to co-chair was Dir. David Bermudo of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), with NEDA 6 as secretariat.
Knowledge Management Division Chief Estela Paredes said the RGADC will serve as a special committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC), born from a resolution initiated by Ugsad Resource Center, which is a special project of the Social Development Committee.
The membership of RGADC come from regional agencies preferably having competence and track-record in GAD advocacy, capability-building, policy-making and program project implementation.
Dir. Bacal said that membership is not limited to those previously selected prior to the organizational meeting, and linkages are always open even with agencies and entities which were not identified as members, when their involvements are needed for special projects.
NCRFW Executive Dir. Emmeline Verzosa said that regional GAD centers play important roles in mainstreaming gender concerns down the local levels to intensify advocacy, monitoring and evaluation of gender and development programs, especially that the Magna Carta for Women will soon be signed by President Gloria Arroyo.
Further, Verzosa said, the RGADC can closely monitor the formulation and implementation of local GAD codes. (PIA6/ESS)