ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 6 held a two-day capacity development training on the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) to strengthen the gender-responsive capabilities of its employees.
BFAR-6 said that the training aims to advance gender equality and eradicate gender-based discrimination throughout the process of fisheries projects’ implementation.
With 30 participants from various provincial and regional offices, the training aimed to enhance the integration of gender perspectives such as respect in gender differences, enabling structures and methodologies to be sensitive to gender, in fisheries planning, implementation, and evaluation.
The sessions covered key concepts such as the difference between sex and gender, gender roles, and the importance of consulting both men and women in fisheries programs.
The activity was facilitated by Velma Lao, a member of the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) Gender and Development Resource Pool.
“When women are economically empowered, they gain independence and are better able to protect themselves from abuse. Financial stability gives them the ability to fight, negotiate, and make informed decisions,” Lao said in one of the sessions.
Chief of the Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination Division Jessica C. Esmao emphasized the importance of looking beyond sex-disaggregated data and fully-integrating GAD principles across four key areas of fisheries such as livelihood, enforcement, research and development, and training programs.
“While we consult stakeholders before proposing projects, we previously lacked a structured approach to making them truly gender-responsive. This training has given us clarity and concrete steps [in doing our projects while integrating the GAD concepts],” said Alvin D. Beltran from the Provincial Fisheries Office (PFO)- Capiz during the feedback session.
For Maria Aimee A. Sobrevega, officer-in-charge of PFO Iloilo, the training served as a refresher on GAD concepts while reinforcing the need to evaluate proposals through both the gender and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management lenses.
The BFAR is optimistic about institutionalizing gender-responsive fisheries projects with the renewed awareness and practical tools discussed among its personnel. (AAL/AGP/ PIA 6)
