Greetings for 2022 International Women's Day
News and Updates
UN to mark 2022 IWD with theme "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”
(Source and for more information, see: (https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2021/12/international-womens-day-2022-gender-equality-today-for-a-sustainable-tomorrow)
The theme for "International Women’s Day (IWD)" on March 8, 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response to build a more sustainable future for all.
Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had, and will continue to have, severe and lasting impacts on our environment, and economic and social development. Those who are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts. Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources that climate change threatens the most.
At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action. Continuing to examine the opportunities as well as the constraints to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.
The United Nations (UN) observance of IWD under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” will be marked by a high-level virtual event (TBC) on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 10AM–11.30AM (EST). The Secretary-General of the UN, the President of the General Assembly, the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Executive Director of UN Women as well as gender equality and climate change activists and celebrities will participate. The event will be followed by a high-level panel discussion and musical performances.
The IWD theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66): “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes."
-with minor editing by GERC Inc.
Get ready for IWD 2022
The theme for "International Women's Day (IWD)," March 8, 2022 is #BreakTheBias.
Photos: internationalwomensday.com
(Source: internationalwomensday.com)
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.
GERC launches EWEC Program, in partnership with We Effect
by GERC Inc.
This 2021, GERC Inc. has launched its “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Co-ops (EWEC)" Program as one of the components of its Project “Institutionalizing Women Empowerment and Gender Equality in Philippine Cooperatives.” The Project is implemented by GERC Inc. in partnership with We Effect, for the latter’s Philippines Program “Equality First: Working Together Towards Gender Equality, Transformative Housing, and Empowerment of the Rural Folk (Working TOGETHER).”
What does EWEC focus on? It upholds the development of and support to co-op-women member entrepreneurs—especially the micro and small entrepreneurs—and the enhancement of their enterprise through the business development services (BDS) provided by their co-ops. EWEC also supports Republic Act No. 9501 or the “Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),” geared toward the development of the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit by providing a business environment conducive for MSMEs.
GERC Inc. has always worked for gender equality (GE) for development in and through cooperatives. And it has continued to support women in their empowerment as one of the important aspects of achieving GE, particularly in cooperatives. When women are empowered economically, they will also be empowered to make decisions; ascertain their leadership; and make substantial contributions to their household, their co-op, and their community. When women have their own enterprise, they are able to contribute to the income of their families while balancing work and family responsibilities; to reduce disparities between men and women; and to take more active economic and political roles in their co-op, community, and country. Having empowered women in co-ops means also reinforcing co-op advocacies and programs on economic empowerment, food security, environment, health, youth, and other concerns.
To develop women economically, co-ops must provide services that will support their members’ enterprises, especially women-owned micro and small enterprises. Among these services are financial services—as most co-ops currently provide—to help establish or expand women’s enterprises. And going a step further, the co-ops must also provide BDS (e.g., information, knowledge and skills transfer, and advice on various aspects of a business). When co-ops provide BDS, it is their conscious action of helping women’s enterprises grow and become more competitive and profitable. And, in return, the growth and profit of women’s micro and small enterprises will have enormous and various socio-economic returns to the co-ops and consequently, to the whole membership.
With an eye on helping women and co-ops achieve these positive developments, GERC Inc.’s has connected with Philippine co-ops as participants in the EWEC Program, that is, the Moncada Women’s Credit Cooperative (MWCC), Moncada, Tarlac; St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative (SMTCDC), Bocaue, Bulacan; Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO), Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur; Sacred Heart Savings Cooperative (SHSC), Galimuyod, Ilocos Sur; and also fellow We Effect partner-organizations with co-op member-based organizations (MBOs), which are the Institute for Philippine Cooperatives and Social Enterprise Development (IPCSED) (through Community Water Service Cooperative of Bagong Silang [CWSCBS], Caloocan City, Metro Manila) and Trias Philippines (through Gubat St. Anthony Cooperative [GSAC], Gubat, Sorsogon).
GERC Inc. also tapped the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO) of Abra province and Mandaue City Public Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAVENCO) of Cebu province to share with the co-ops their experiences of operating their BDCs in the forthcoming training for co-ops’ BDC staff.
First steps
In April, 115 participants (92 females, 23 males; consisting of representatives from the then-potential partner-co-ops in the EWEC Program; and the GERC Inc.’s training team) took part in two important initial events for the EWEC Program.
These events were actually orientation meetings held online for the EWEC Program. On April 8, 2021, the “1st Orientation Meeting” was held to present and discuss with the co-ops the EWEC Program, and firm up their acceptance and participation in the Program through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The participants were co-ops’ Chairpersons/Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), BDC/BDS Officer, and other co-op management representatives/officers.
On April 22, 2021, the “2nd Orientation Meeting” was held with these objectives: to confirm the participation in the EWEC Program by the co-ops and the setting up of their BDCs; discuss types of BDS to be provided to women entrepreneurs and the purpose of the BDC; guide the co-ops and BDC staff on how to accomplish the profile form for member entrepreneurs and plan for the conduct of the profiling of member entrepreneurs, starting with women entrepreneurs who will participate in the EWEC Program.
This second orientation meeting was attended by Chairpersons/CEOs of co-ops; women entrepreneurs who are co-op members; and BDC staff or point persons of the co-ops.
The EWEC meeting also discussed the next activity in May 2021, which is the training on managing/starting a BDC.
We Effect Philippine Program Coordinator Mr. Pedro Carlos Baclagon and GERC Inc. Chairperson Dr. Emma A. Nieva gave their welcome messages to the EWEC meeting participants.
