To fully establish a gender-friendly institution, the University’s Gender Development Office (GDO) intensified the gender policy and the importance of women’s role among taga-west in line of the celebration of women’s month.

The Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was highlighted as one of the topics in a webinar series facilitated by the GDO on March 29 in a zoom conference.

Among the invited speakers was from the Philippine Commission on Women, Josephine Khaleen M. Sasuman who tackled about the Mandates and Initiatives of the Implementation of the Magna Carta of Women and Promotion of GEWE.

“CEDAW recognizes that the culture and tradition are the influential forces [in] shaping the gender roles,” Sasuman said.

The CEDAW is an international bill of rights of Women that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 19, 1979 which was signed in the Philippines on July 15, 1980 and was ratified on August 5, 1981, the first ASEAN country to do so.

“The CEDAW affirms women’s rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children,” Sasuman added.

Sasuman also discussed the PCW’s initiatives on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment that includes the legislative advocacy for the enactment and passage of gender-responsive laws such as recognizing sexual abuse and focusing on the violence and abusive conduct as grounds for legal separation.

In addition, the initiative also contains the enactment of the law prohibiting discrimination based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Expression.

The proposed gender policy of the University was made possible through the research and recommendation of University President Joselito F. Villaruz along with the GDO Director, Jeannette J. Simpas.

“It is high time that we support gender equality, mainstreaming of PWDs and social inclusion,” Simpas emphasized on her opening remarks.

The proposed gender policy was presented to the administrative council and was subject for BOR approval this April 2021.  –Jonar Dorado/CILPI