Gender and Development Session 3
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Outline • • • •
Rationale for GAD Historical background: The GAD Evolution GAD Approach: The Rights-based Approach Elements of RBA
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Why GAD? GAD is about being faithful to the principle that
Fairness and equity demands that everyone in society, whether male of female, has the right to the same opportunities to achieve a full and satisfying life. Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Further‌  GAD is about recognizing that gender biases impede development because: - they prevent people from attaining their full potentials (which will enable them to become effective contributors to development)
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
GAD is • Towards women’s empowerment and their full participation based on equality in all spheres is fundamental for society. • Ensures that women play an active role in the development process. – In resolution 2000/5, the Commission on Human Rights affirmed the need to apply a gender perspective in the implementation of the right to development Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Historical review of development approaches that involves us women‌
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT:
The Rights-based approach • a conceptual framework for human development that integrates the norms, standards, and principles of the international human rights system into the plans, policies and processes of development (UN CHR) • builds on the experiences and expertise of two significant branches of the women’s movement: development and human rights (Women’s Rights and Economic Change , No.1, Aug.2002) Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
What is Rights-based approach? • a vision • a set of tools: human rights can be the means, the ends, the mechanism of evaluation • the central focus of sustainable human development • Essence : protection and realization of human rights
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Examples of Rights from the UDHR* • The Right to Property (Article 17) • The Right to Social Security and to ECS Rights (Article 22) • The Right to Work (Article 23) • The Right to Rest and Leisure (Article 24) • The Right to an Adequate Standard of Living (Article 25) • The Right to Education (Article 26) • The Right to Participate in Cultural Life (Article 27) * Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Elements of RBA A. B. C. D. E.
Express linkage to rights Accountability Empowerment Participation Non-discrimination and attention to vulnerable groups
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
A. Express Linkage to Rights • Define development objectives in terms of rights as legally enforceable entitlements – Create express normative links human rights instruments – no trade offs between development and rights
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
A right-based approach may lead to different outcomes than other development models .
Example: a. Education services as a right, not a commodity available only to those who can afford them, nor a social service the beneficiary ought to be thankful for b. Poverty as a denial of human rights, particularly the right to development Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
B. Accountability • Raise level of accountability in the development process by identifying claimholders (and their entitlements) and corresponding duty-holders (and their obligations). • Take into account the duties of relevant actors- individuals, state, P0s, NGOs,donor agencies, international organizations Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
• Develop adequate laws, policies, institutions, administrative procedures and practices as well as mechanisms of redress and accountability – Translate universal standards into locally determined benchmarks to measure progress – The State should have the political will and the means to guarantee the realization of all human rights – Constructive dialogue and cooperation are encouraged between and amongst claim-holders and duty-holders
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Some National policy mandates: • The 1987 Philippine Constitution (Art. II, Sec. 14) recognizes `the important role of women in nation building’ and guarantees their full enjoyment of equal rights • Women in Development and Nation Building Act (RA 7192) of 1992 • Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD), 1995-2025, a 30-year perspective plan • General Appropriations Act • DBM-NEDA-NCRFW Joint Memo Circular 2004-1 and 2012-01 • Republic Act 9710 (Magna Carta of Women) Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Platform for Action, Millennium Development Goals The Philippines as signatory to these treatises has committed to pursue women’s empowerment and gender equality in the country Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
C. Participation • Participation should be “ active, free and meaningful.” (UN Declaration on the Right to Development) • People (esp. vulnerable and marginalized groups) should have access to development processes, institutions, information, redress mechanisms Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
D. Empowerment • Goal: give the people the power, capacities, access needed to transform their lives, improve their communities, influence their own destinies • Focus: beneficiaries as owners of rights, directors of development, people as the centre of development • Strategies for empowerment are preferred over charitable responses and dole-outs. Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
E. Non-discrimination and attention to Vulnerable Groups • Ensure access and availability of resources to basic, disadvantaged, or vulnerable persons or groups who are mostly living in poverty and have little or no access to land and other resources, basic social and economic services
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Why Go for Gender and Development?
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
First, women are half of the country’s population. As such, they are half of the producers of economic goods and services but they are in the invisible and marginalized sector or the so-called non-money economy bearing and raising children domestic and unpaid economic labor subsistence agriculture Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Second, they are already in the money economy Informal sector Wage employment Trading
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
“CAPACITY TO DO” DO & “CAPACITY TO BE” BE
Capacity to do refers to how individuals are able to perform the thing they want to do in pursuit of a better life. Capacity to be gives individuals the opportunity and resources to attain their aspirations for a better life. Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Third, women have unique stakes, roles and insights to share in order to attain development objectives, such as in: ◦ sustaining the environment ◦ managing population growth ◦ imparting values that have profound impacts on human progress and economic development
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Resources and opportunities for attaining a full and satisfying life are NOT ALWAYS THE SAME for women and men. These are determined by:
SEX - child bearing GENDER - beliefs about what women CAN’T DO OR SHOULD DO
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Gender issues are deterrents to development. Thus, it is important to address them in development planning.
Office of the President Philippine Commission on26Women
GAD reflects a change in focus from women and their exclusion from development initiatives to the RELATIONS OF INEQUALITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN
Office of the President Philippine Commission on27Women
AND DELIBERATELY ADDRESSES THEM‌ In the processes of developing, budgeting, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs, projects and services, particularly in government agencies. Office of the President Philippine Commission on28Women
WHY GAD?
Because, GAD ---
• Sharpens the focus of development on people • Enhances the capacities of women and men to contribute to the attainment of development goals • Reduces social inequities that stem from unequal gender relations Office of the President Philippine Commission on29Women
WHY GAD ? More importantly, a gender-responsive development is crucial in attaining GROWTH with EQUITY GROWTH, because GAD empowers women to be effective as half of the national producers of goods and services EQUITY, because it aims to provide more to those who have less according to needs Office of the President Philippine Commission on30Women
WHY US ? Gender issues affect all of us.
But
instead of solving them, we all contribute to their perpetuation. Everyone who believes in the vision of attaining a full and satisfying life for all has an obligation to help pursue GAD Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
WHY US ? We are mandated by international treaties/commitments, laws and policies
We are custodians of peoples’ trust and resources. We have the power, knowledge, skills and resources to make development work for everybody
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Where do we go from here? A. Personal • Start from your own body understand how your own attitude and values perpetuates gender based discrimination and stereotypes (sexism and violence) •Educate yourself about the issue •Confront and act on the issue- be a personal advocate! Office of the President
Philippine Commission on Women
Where do we go from here ? B. Organizational •desegregate data by sex •attain balance in various positions (esp. top and decision-making positions) •stop gender discrimination in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Where do we go from here ? B. Organizational • make spaces for disadvantaged men and women • treat each one as equals; demolish hierarchical social transactions • adopt a GAD plan of action (review content of training programs; develop tools, conduct GRP, participate in inter-agency activities on GAD, etc.) Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Organizational level • Advocacy! • Building basis of unity- working for the common good • Coalition – trust building and transparency • Sharing power and control • Commitment, Consistency and Continuity • Celebrate our Success! Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women
Maraming Salamat!
Office of the President Philippine Commission on Women