The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office-Bicol Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, recently conducted National Training on Gender-Responsive Governance and Participatory Gender Audit in Legazpi City.

The training aims to: a. increase the capacity of the field staff in applying technical skills in gender and wider knowledge on gender-responsive governance; b. enhance Gender and Development (GAD) audit tools customized primarily for pantawid pamilya beneficiary-level-assessment; c. and to have advocacy strategy concepts to make local government units more gender responsive.

Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia said the training is useful to improve the capacity of the staff in planning out and implement a stronger advocacy to encourage more pantawid pamilya women beneficiaries engaged in decision making and perform leadership roles in the communities.

About 47 participants who are GAD focal persons from 17 regions attended the activity.

The trainings includes, interactive discussions, lectures, open forum and workshops along the concept of development, sex and gender and the impact of these concepts on society; enabling factors and stages of gender mainstreaming; gender audit and what to look at in gender audits within the organization; program and project implementation management; monitoring and evaluation; and the framework and application on audit processes.

During the training, participants listen attentively; carefully provide assessments and recommendations to improve the implementation of the pantawid pamilya program along gender responsiveness.

According to Rosalie Mapa, GAD focal person of DSWD 5 under pantawid pamilya, the training helps a lot to in order to assess and provide them a glimpse on how they can further enhance the gender impacts of the conditional cash transfer program that specifically targets women. ***G.A.N.Lindio, information officer