RDC lobbies gender equality
The Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 and the Social Development Committee (SDC) Sub-committee on Gender and Development (GAD) have entered into a tripartite agreement with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) to ensure a continued collaboration and sharing of resources to sustain efforts to promote gender mainstreaming in the region.
A memorandum of agreement (MOA) for this partnership was signed during the third quarter full council meeting of the RDC held last Oct. 5 in Dumaguete City. The signing was held after the RDC passed a resolution approving the tripartite agreement.
Those who signed the agreement were RDC 7 SDC chairperson Evelyn Castro, PCW executive director Emmeline Verzosa, National Economic and Development Authority 7 Director and RDC 7 Vice Chairman Efren Carreon, PCW chairperson Rhodora Bucoy and RDC 7 Sub-committee on GAD chairperson Teresa Fernandez.
Fernandez said that while there are still a lot of challenges when it comes to GAD, they are optimistic that the MOA will give a big push to their efforts to promote gender equality and localize the Magna Carta for Women.
With the MOA, GAD stakeholders are hoping they could already start conducting studies that will look at gender disparity in the region.
“We are happy to get the kind of support to make gender equality and gender empowerment real. We are looking forward to the achievement of AmBisyon Natin 2040 and that it will be shown in the lives of women and children. We are looking forward to a society that is fair, free and equal,” Fernandez added.