CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- An official of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said gender equality and women empowerment go hand in hand in pursuing a gender and development (GAD) agenda.

“When we talk about gender and development, dalawa iyan [there are two points]: gender equality and women's empowerment. We will never achieve the real essence of development if we do not highlight women's rights,” said Khristine Kay M. Lazarito-Calingin, chief GAD specialist of the PCW Northern Mindanao Field Office.

Lazarito-Calingin made the statement during the #WEcanbeEquALL lecture and exhibition series held at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan on March 13.

She also emphasized the importance of a development centered approach in today's society. 

Calingin said such a strategy, characterized as "people-centric development," is essential for enabling individuals to achieve a lasting ability to lead fulfilling lives for all.

Underscoring the Magna Carta of Women, Calingin said the law guarantees civil, political, and economic rights of women in the marginalized sectors, including food security and resources for food production, skills training, representation and participation, localized, accessible, secure, and affordable housing, decent work standards, access to information, and employment, livelihood, credit, capital, and technology.

She further added that the law also guarantees (1) services and intervention for women in especially difficult circumstances, (2) participation and inclusion of their concerns in discussions on peace and development, (3) recognition and preservation of cultural identity and integrity, (4) protection of girl-children against all forms of discrimination, (5) protection of women senior citizens, and (6) social protection to reduce poverty and vulnerability to risks.

"The challenge now is to answer the question, What can we do? You can be a "shero," a woman admired for her ideals, courage, and outstanding achievements," Calingin said.  

She emphasized that this entails sharing time and knowledge, extending a helping hand, particularly to marginalized individuals, empowering oneself and others, being a role model while respecting others, and maintaining optimism that gender issues will soon become a thing of the past.

For their part, Xavier University focused on investing in women's empowerment for education and inclusivity. 

“XU will pursue building a community that recognizes women's roles and leadership, educates students on women's struggles in history, their creativity in various cultures and societies, and their courage to stand up for themselves yet work in solidarity with others,” said Dennise Edwina S. Gonzales, XU Gender and Development (GAD) officer.

Shared thoughts on women’s rights

One of the forum reactors, Federacion Internacional De Abogadas CDO President, Judge Jerlie Luis-Requerme, said, “All of us here are just fortunate to have been born in the time and environment when we are already enjoying the freedom and privileges we have now because of those who unceasingly fought for them.”

She highlighted that within the household, traditional roles often impose limitations. Her suggestion entails each family abandoning reproductive and gender-based roles, exemplified by the notion that the individual with the best culinary skills should handle cooking duties. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of leveraging the strengths of each family member.

“The country has been at the forefront of women's rights movements, not only in Asia but in the world and practically in all sectors of society—we are slowly veering away from the archaic mentality that the role of women is just a homemaker,” said Requerme.

Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) Director Hobart P. Savior, also one of the reactors, said the pursuit of equality, particularly concerning gender, arises from the presence and prevalence of inequality that has been tolerated and practiced as if it were normative in our society.

“We live in a republic where development may have been skewed towards biases against the perceived weak and the ‘second sex’ or 'other'—women and other genders. But there is hope to neutralize this tilted or unbalanced power distribution," he said, adding that it is also important to acknowledge that Filipino collectivist culture celebrates the roles of women in completing the Filipino family and the nation.

He also stresses that in folklore and history, there are strong and admirable heroines who play crucial and respected roles in their epic realms, contributing to peace, self-determination, and triumphs. Among these heroines are Magayon among the Bikolanos, Alunsina among the Panay Bukidnon, Potri Rainalaut among the Maranaos, Mebuyan among the Bagobos, and Matabagka among the Monobos and Bukidnons.

PCW-NMFO will also hold the same lecture and exhibit series at Bukidnon State University on March 20, Opol Community College on March 21, and the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines on March 22. They will also conduct a women's forum on March 22 to culminate the National Women's Month celebration in the region. (SAYU/PIA-10)