Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

PHilMech Juanas vote for women’s agenda priorities
by Mila B. Gonzalez (March 18, 2016)
They came in droves wearing white T-shirts with a thumbprint of women’s issues and concerns. Juanas and Juans of different government agencies, private and civil society groups and individuals gathered, 16th of March, at the Burnham Green, in front of the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila, to be part of the 2016 National Women’s Month Celebration. They were one in saying: “Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Agenda!”

Twenty delegates from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) attended the event. Ms. Miriam Acda, chief science research specialist of the Food Protection Division (FPD) and focal person on Gender and Development (GAD) of PHilMech, led the group.

The Juanas of PHilMech along with other Juanas and Juans in the government and the private sectors voted for the top five priority agenda items of women they want to be addressed in the coming years. These development agenda for women are categorized into the following: economic empowerment; social development; security, justice and peace; climate change and disaster risk reduction; and gender-responsive governance.

Ms. Solita “Winnie” Monsod, a respected broadcast journalist, economist and a women’s rights advocate, delivered the keynote address. She talked about the global gender gap index and how the Philippines ranked among the 145 countries studied.

According to the 2015 global gender gap report, Philippines ranked 7 among the most gender-equal societies in the world, with Iceland, Norway and Finland as top three performers. The global gender gap index report ranked countries “on the gap between men and women on health, education, economic and political indicators”.

Ms. Winnie Monsod also emphasized the need for women empowerment in the country. “If we are not empowered, we lose our competitiveness in the world.”

March is a women’s month celebration in the country. Republic,Act No. 6949, s.1990 declares March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day. Meanwhile, Presidential Proclamation No. 227, s. 1988 enjoins the observance of March as the Women’s Role in History Month.