WOMENS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

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• WOMENS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• A KEY TO BUILDING A STRONG NATION

GEMMA IFURUNG National Commission on the Role of
the Filipino Women Visayas Regional Training On
Gender In Microfinance Cebu Business Hotel, Cebu
City 3 December 2005
Originally prepared and presented by EMMELINE L.
VERZOSA, Executive Director, National Commission
on the Role of Filipino Women during the Luzon
Regional Training on Gender in Microfinance
Bayview Park Hotel, Manila City November 12, 2005
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Vision

• NCRFW
• the lead government agency
• steering development efforts
• towards womens empowerment and gender equality

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Mission

• We, in partnership with key stakeholders, shall
  make government work for the promotion,
  protection and fulfillment of womens human
  rights to enable women and men to equally
  contribute to and benefit from development.

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Mission

• We shall pursue this through
• gender mainstreaming
• to make government
• policies, plans, programs and services gender
  responsive

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National and Local Development Planning Cycle
Planning
Monitoring Evaluation
Programming Budgeting
6B
Implementation
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The GAD Mainstreaming Strategy
Planning
GAD Planning, ME
Advocacy Training
Monitoring Evaluation
Programming Budgeting
Institutional Mechanism
GAD Data Base
6B
Implementation
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Goal

• Enhanced enabling environment
• for government to
• develop, implement, monitor and evaluate
  gender-responsive
• policies, plans, programs, and projects
• at the national and local levels.

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Core Functions

• Coordinates the preparation of Philippine
  development plans for women
• Acts as clearinghouse and database for
  information relating to women

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Core Functions

• Conducts policy studies and reviews legislation
  to integrate womens and gender concerns
• Provides technical services and ensures the
  development of institutional capabilities for GAD
  mainstreaming of government agencies and local
  partners

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Core Functions

• Monitors and assesses the implementation of laws
  and policies on women including international
  treaties and conferences
• Undertakes continuing advocacy to promote womens
  economic, social, and political empowerment

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FRAMEWORK PLAN FOR WOMEN (FPW)

• Time slice of the PPGD
• 3 Major Thrusts
• - Advancing and protecting Womens
• Human Rights
• - Promotion of Womens Economic
• Empowerment
• - Promotion of Gender-Responsive
• Governance

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The FPW Conceptual Framework
EMPOWERED WOMEN, STRONGER NATION
WOMENS EMPOWERMENT/ GENDER EQUALITY
WOMENS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
WOMENS HUMAN RIGHTS
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
MEDIUM-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MTPDP)
BEAT THE ODDS
BEAT THE ODDS
GOVERNMENT NGOs/ CSOs PRIVATE SECTOR ACADEME/
GRCs
GENDER-RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE
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THE BIBINGKA PRINCIPLE
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FPW ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OBJECTIVES

• Enhance sustainable access of women to capital
  market, training, information, technology and
  technical assistance
• Enhance employment and livelihood skills of
  women, particularly in high value adding
  industries and agricultural activities
• Increase awareness of women of their economic
  rights and opportunities

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GAD in the MTPDP

• Part III. Social Justice and Basic Needs
• Chapter I. Basic Needs Anti-Poverty Programs
• 1.1 Livelihood
• In particular, since women are the majority
  target of microfinance initiatives, programs
  should aim, not just to reduce income poverty,
  but to empower women as well. Womens active
  participation in decision-making in small
  enterprise development, gender consciousness and
  empowerment ensure that programs are sensitive to
  womens specific needs and roles, especially as
  wives and mothers that exercise control over
  their micro-enterprises and also benefit
  personally from them.

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GAD in the MTPDP

• Part III. Social Justice and Basic Needs
• Chapter I. Basic Needs Anti-Poverty Programs
• On Livelihood
• Develop gender-responsive microfinance
  services and products in partnership with LGUs,
  NGOs and POs
• - training
• - product development
• - market access
• - new technologies
• - social insurance
• - womens health (e.g. family planning and
• - other basic services (e.g. housing and
  pension)

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Key Elements in Pursuing Gender Responsive
Microfinance Policies and Programs

• Clear expression of gender equality and womens
  empowerment as goals in microfinance policies and
  programs of microfinance institutions (MFIs)
• Adoption of the credit plus five approach

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Key Elements in Pursuing Gender Responsive
Microfinance Policies and Programs

• Capability-building of personnel in concerned
  GFIs (i.e. PCFC and Landbank) and retailer MFIs
  on gender awareness and integration of gender
  perspective in programs and services
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• - Development of qualitative and quantitative
  indicators and measures of womens empowerment
• - Integration and application of indicators in M
  E scheme
• Development of feedback and participatory
  decision-making mechanism

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Role of MFIs in Promoting Womens Economic
Empowerment

• Review, data analysis and research
• Pro-actively integrate gender in programs and
  services
• - Awareness of and support for women clients
  concerns
• - Empowerment among the MFI Staff
• Including relevant qualitative and quantitative
  measures of womens empowerment in M E scheme

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HELP YOUR CLIENTS MOVE OUT OF POVERTY

• Adopt a Credit Plus Approach

COMPREHENSIVE MICROFINANCE PACKAGE
NON FINANCIAL SERVICES
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Credit and savings
Skills training, social security, modules on
responsible parenthood, health and nutrition,
family planning, occupational safety and health
and gender empowerment, micro-insurance and
housing
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HELP YOUR CLIENTS MOVE OUT OF POVERTY

• How?

FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
Focus on your strengths, passion and mission and
LINK with organizations with complimentary
services
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FORMING STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

• Three ways
• Linked approach partner with other
  organizations
• Parallel approach create new service unit
  within your organization
• Unified approach multi-tasking of staff

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FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH

• NAPC NCRFW
• PCFC DepEd
• TESDA DOST
• DOLE DTI
• DILG DSWD
• DOH DA, DAR
• LGUs, NGOs

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• THANK YOU