SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Ilocos Region is setting an example in advancing gender equality with the approval of its Gender and Development (GAD) Agenda for 2025-2030.
The Regional Development Council (RDC) 1 gave the green light to this strategic framework during its fourth-quarter meeting in Lingayen, Pangasinan recently.
Advancing gender equality, women empowerment
Through Resolution No. 71, Series of 2024, the RDC-1 reaffirmed its commitment to creating a gender-responsive environment in Region 1.
The GAD Agenda serves as a roadmap to ensure that women’s empowerment and gender equality are integral to policy reforms, capacity building, and inter-agency collaborations over the next six years.
Mary Jane Ortega, RDC-1 co-chair and private sector representative, emphasized the council’s dedication to gender equality.
“I have observed that the major program project activities (PPAs) in the region are gender responsive and I hope all PPAs, without exception, would be gender responsive,” Ortega said.
She also urged public support for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) five, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Key goals to address gender issues
The GAD Agenda identifies four critical goals to advance gender equality in Region 1:
1. Gender-Responsive Policies: Ensuring policies are formulated, implemented, and monitored with a gender lens.
2. Strengthening Champions of GAD: Empowering the Regional Gender and Development Council (RGADC-1) and the Region 1 GAD Resource Pool (R1GRP) to lead gender advocacy efforts.
3. Enhancing GAD Mechanisms: Ensuring that RGADC-1 mechanisms are fully operational.
4. Mainstreaming Gender-Responsiveness: Embedding gender-responsive approaches across all major programs, projects, and activities.
The approved GAD Agenda will be carried out through activities such as creating gender-focused plans for each RGADC-1 member agency and training new R1GRP aspirants to enhance GAD planning and implementation.
It also includes developing a tool to monitor progress and organizing a workshop to improve communication of RGADC’s gender advocacy.
A collaborative approach
The RGADC-1 GAD Agenda was developed through a consultative process involving representatives from regional line agencies, state universities and colleges, local government units, and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).
Atty. Ana Leah Romero, secretary of the RGADC-1, highlighted the collaborative spirit behind the agenda’s creation.
“The passing of the resolution is not the end but rather the beginning of a new journey towards gender mainstreaming in the region,” Romero said.
She assured that the agenda’s plans and initiatives will be integrated into RGADC-1’s work plan to ensure its success.
Towards a gender-equal future
The approval of the GAD Agenda is more than a resolution-it is a call to action for stronger partnerships among RGADC-1 members and stakeholders.
By fostering collaboration, the region is poised to make forward strides in ensuring that women’s empowerment and gender equality are at the forefront of development initiatives.
As the Ilocos Region moves forward, the GAD Agenda for 2025-2030 stands as a testament to its commitment to inclusivity, equity, and sustainable development. (PIA Region 1)