NEDA 6 conducts 2nd Harmonized GAD Guidelines Workshop
The National Economic and Development Authority 6 with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) conducted a 2nd training-workshop on the Harmonized GAD Guidelines last November 23-24, 2009 at the Iloilo Grand Hotel in Iloilo City.
Aimed to promote the twin goals of gender equality and women’s empowerment, the activity was attended by 62 participants coming from the regional line agencies, state colleges and universities and the local government units.
The Harmonized GAD Guidelines developed and produced by NEDA and the then Commission on the Role of Filipino Women in 2004 (now Philippine Women Commission) with funding assistance from the UNDP and the Asian Development Bank, is a common tool of ensuring gender responsiveness of programs and projects in the various stages of the project cycle from project identification to project evaluation and impact assessment.”
The NEDA OIC-Assistant Regional Director, Nicholas B Rivas, Jr. gave the welcome message during the Opening Ceremonies. “We enjoin everyone to use and promote these guidelines to ensure that government programs and projects at the national and local levels are truly gender-responsive to the issues and concerns of women and men,” he said. CUI Project Manager, Jay Presaldo, in his message expressed that he did not have second thoughts in supporting this training-workshop because the CUI is working with the DILG and NEDA together with other selected local government units to promote Gender and Development particularly in development planning.
The participants were introduced to the background of the Guidelines, concepts and principles of GAD tools and Gender Analysis was reviewed before they underwent the hands-on exercises of the checklists of the Harmonized GAD Guidelines.
“There is a need for more training on the Harmonized GAD Guidelines in Region 6, as indicated by the overwhelming response of the participants who came to attend the training and stayed on for the last three days,” NEDA Regional Director Ro-Ann Bacal emphasized during the Closing Ceremonies.
The resource persons of the training are NEDA staff, Estela Paredes, Cynthia Lumampao and Gil Altura and Iloilo TESDA Provincial Director Lorena Yunque. (Clumampao, NEDA 6)
