The Department of Agriculture (DA) has embraced the definition of women-owned and women-led businesses in the agriculture sector resulting in its adoption by the department through Memorandum Order No. 09 series of 2023.
The measure is part of the gender mainstreaming efforts of the DA pursuant to Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), which aims to pursue gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE), particularly in the agriculture and fishery sector.
As one of the member agencies of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council (MSMEDC), the DA started to circulate MSMEDC Resolution No. 1 Series of 2022 with the subject focused on “Solidifying Support to Women Entrepreneurship by Adopting the International Finance Corporation Definition of Women-owned or led Businesses”, which shall be adopted by all Operating Units in the department.
The following definitions shall be used in formulating policies; developing and monitoring programs, projects, and activities (PPAs); providing benefits or incentives for women’s entrepreneurship; and collecting sex-disaggregated data (SDD) to support interventions for women’s economic and financial inclusion:
Women-owned businesses are businesses where at least 51 percent of the company is owned by women.
Women-led businesses are businesses where at least 20 percent is owned by a woman or women, and at least one woman acts as chief executive officer, chief operating officer, president, or vice president, and at least 30 percent of the board of directors, where a board exists, is composed of women.
The memorandum shall take effect immediately and supersedes all orders, memoranda and other issuances inconsistent herewith.