The gender and development committee and some staff of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) joined the DOST-wide Women’s Month celebration held at DOST Bicutan.
Themed, Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Agenda, this year’s Women’s Month celebration highlighted the need to include women’s welfare especially in political candidates’ platforms.
DOST-PCAARRD adopted the women’s agenda, Expanded access to affordable comprehensive women’s health care and services, based on the result of the survey conducted among PCAARRD employees.
Each of the DOST agencies presented its agenda through a performance in an opening program following the parade. The program was capped off with the releasing of balloons by each agency. This was led by the Philippine Commission for Women (PCW) Chairperson Remedios I. Rikken, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Amelia P. Guevara, and DOST Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara. A ceremonial casting of ballot and thumb printing was also held afterwards.
A forum on women in leadership was also held, where three topics were discussed: women as game changers; women and work: what’s holding them back; and becoming a woman leader.
“The Philippines is included in the top 10 list of countries with the least gender gap. In fact, we are the only Asian country included in this list since 2006,” said World Fish Center Country Director Dr. Maripaz L. Perez. “However, there are still constraints that hold women back, especially in work,” she added.
According to Dr. Perez, these constraints include the traditional notion of roles within the family; limitations in securing training and further studies because of family; restricted access to and control of resources particularly time; and persistence biases in programs and policies.
Experiences of women achievers as shown during the event proved how they have hurdled these constraints.
Police Superintendent Ercy Nanette Madriaga-Tomas proved to have surpassed these difficulties as the Chief of the Organizational Alignment Division (OAD) of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Admittedly, she said that gender bias in the PNP is rampant, but in spite of this, she and her women colleagues have excelled in their field.
Lastly, PCW Chairperson Remedios I. Rikken, part of the group that pioneered gender mainstreaming, discussed why women should be in the ‘negotiating table.’
“There cannot be true democracy where women are virtually excluded from positions of power,” said Rikken.