In pursuit of a more gender-inclusive rice industry, research and development workers of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) are undergoing a Gender Analysis Training (GAT).
The training, which runs from March until May, was designed to help staff analyze and understand how women and men and their social relations are affected and will be affected by the Institution’s operations, programs, projects, and activities. This is in adherence to DA-PhilRice’s Memorandum No. 2018-015, which requires its cooperative bodies to mainstream Gender and Development (GAD) in rice research and development (R&D).
“This is a move to ensure that our programs are equally available for the men and women in the rice sector. We want to guarantee their participation for them to have better access to information and agricultural resources, enhance their work efficiency, and increase their farm competency,” Dr. Diadem G. Esmero, GAD focal person, said.
Studies show that gender disparities continue to exist in the country’s various sectors, significantly in farming, where women are often disadvantaged in terms of access to agricultural resources and opportunities.
Esmero added that the activity aims to help achieve the goals of the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development 1995 – 2025 and Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Plan 2019-2025, which will harmonize the position of Filipino women in farming.
Participants are expected to complete four modules – gender analysis, data and materials for gender analysis, gender analysis tools/frameworks, and harmonized gender and development guidelines, and attain a 75% grade.
