BANGA, Aklan - Fifteen Gender and Development Focal Persons from different government agencies were equipped through the Workshop on Mainstreaming DA’s GAD Programs and Projects through Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) last September 20-22, 2023 at the ATI Training Hall. The activity aims to equip participants with knowledge of the objectives, principles, features, and frameworks of the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) towards mainstreaming gender and development in the programs and projects of the Department of Agriculture.
The three-day training touched on topics like Gender and Development Concepts, Gender and Development Laws, Rules and Regulations, review of the agency’s GAD Focal Point System, Introduction to Harmonized GAD Guidelines (HGDG), and Introduction to Gender Mainstreaming and Evaluation Framework (GMEF).
The workshops produced comprehensive outputs that include Re-entry Plans focusing on GAD activities for 2024, answering HGDG concerns for Program/Project Planning and Design Stages and Program/Project Implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation Stages. Additional output includes answering the Gender and Mainstreaming and Evaluation Framework (GMEF).
“The workshop is a big help to internalize and give importance to gender mainstreaming, especially on the part of the management, policy-makers, and project implementers to promote equal opportunity access for both men and women and support to all clients, beneficiaries, and stakeholders,” expressed Mark Allain A. Tizon, participant from the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
The implementation of the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) is considered crucial for promoting gender equality and empowering women in the agriculture sector.
