Christmas 2013 and New Year 2014 greeting

Gender Equality Resource Centers (GERCs) in Philippine co-ops: Strengthening co-ops and families

What is gender equality or GE? In GE, women and men have equal rights, benefits, opportunities for advancement, services, and access to and control over resources; and equal roles to play in development as participants and as leaders.

Click here to download the GERC Brochure (PDF file).

(Note: On November 18, 2013, the Philippine government's Cooperative Development Authority [CDA] issued Memorandum Circular [MC] 2013-22, pertaining to "Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development [GAD] in Cooperatives." The Circular, as stated in the MC itself, aims at disseminating to the co-op sector the GAD mandate of the government so as to ensure the promotion of GE and the institutionalization of GAD in policies, programs, and other activities in the co-ops.)

Gender Equality Resource Centers in Philippine co-ops fully activated

Gender Equality Resource Centers (GERCs) based in Philippine co-operatives in the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions are now fully activated. The GERCs are ready to serve the country’s other co-ops and help them fulfill their objectives and needs related to gender and development (GAD) and genderequality (GE).

On November 21-24, 2013, co-operators from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions of the Philippines converged for a meeting and workshop in San Rafael, Bulacan province in Luzon for their continuing capacity-building toward effective and timely service delivery to other co-ops and different institutions. These co-operators belong to different co-ops that comprise GERCs in the aforementioned regions. These co-ops, which are among the most active and most progressive co-ops in the country, have become gender-fair and gender-sensitive organizations that recognize and advocate the socio-economic benefits that co-ops and their members enjoy when they embrace GE. Furthermore, these co-ops that had formed their own GERCs have banded together to operate GERCs at the regional level, mainly to help even more effectively other co-ops and institutions in enjoying the benefits of being gender-fair organizations.

The GERCs were set up under the auspices of the Project “Sustaining Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines” that is implemented in 2013 by the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF). The Project is supported by the We Effect—Swedish Cooperative Centre (We Effect—SCC), with fund support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). In the years immediately prior to this Project, AWCF, also with We Effect—SCC’s support, implemented the “first” project “Promoting Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines.” This first project likewise involved other co-ops that are now part of the regional GERCs formedby the co-ops through the current AWCF-We Effect—SCC Project.

The first project (implemented 2010-2012) culminated in the “AWCF Public Awareness Conference” held December 6, 2012 in Quezon City, Philippines, wherein 15 co-ops participating in the project drafted the document "Call for Action to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) tosupport Gender Equality in Philippine co-ops." The original copy of the Call for Action, which was signed by the 15 co-ops’ representatives, was submitted by the co-ops at the Conference to CDA Executive Director Mr. Niel Santillan. He was one of the Conference’s guests. On January 2, 2013, AWCF sent a copy of the same Call for Action to the office of CDA Chairperson Mr. Emmanual Santiaguel.


The Call for Action
In the said Call for Action, the 15 co-ops that took part in the AWCF GE Project from 2010-2012 stated, among other things, that they realize that as gender-fair co-ops, they may serve as role-models for other co-ops and co-operators on the benefits of being gender-aware and gender-sensitive, and of practicing GE. In consideration of this premise and other premises stated in the said Call for Action, the 15 co-ops said that they are therefore making the call and the challenge to the CDA—being the most relevant government agency supporting co-ops in the country—to support GE mainstreaming and integration in the co-ops to bring about even greater socio-economic benefits to the movement.
Specifically, the 15 co-ops called on the CDA to:
1. Require gender-sensitivity training or gender-awareness sessions as one of the courses for co-op officers and key management staff
2. Require co-ops to engage in gender-related activities so as to address gender issues in their co-ops and thus become gender-fair and gender-responsive organizations and workplaces
3. Require co-ops to integrate GE in their bylaws.

These aforementioned actions, as stated in the Call for Action, will lead co-ops in the country to make GE as one of their priority/primary actions. Thisway, the co-ops will be compliance with the Rules and Policies Implementing Certain Provisions of the “Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008,” Rule 11Section 5, “Social Audit of Cooperatives.” 

The 15 co-ops closed the Call for Action document by strongly urging the CDA’s “favorable response to the Call for Action beginning 2013.”

Next steps after Call for Action; Circular issued
After the Call for Action was submitted to the CDA Executive Director in December 2012 in the Public Awareness Conference and sent by AWCF to the CDA Chairperson in January 2013, AWCF worked with CDA for almost all of the latter part of the year to follow up, coordinate and advocate with, and provide technical support to CDA in responding to the Call for Action for GE in co-ops. AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe led her office's efforts in coordinating with CDA. (See related article)


With the support of CDA Chairperson Mr. Santiaguel, the key officers (led by Ms Mercedes Castillo, one of the CDA Board of Administrators or BOA) and management staff in CDA’s Central Office and field offices gave also their support to the Call for Action and translated that support to activities (technical working group meetings between AWCF and CDA; gender awareness sessions with CDA officers and staff, and co-ops in attendance; and other discussions). All these activities ultimately led to the drafting and  subsequent approval in November 18, 2013 by the CDA's BOA of Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22, pertaining to "Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development (GAD) inCooperatives." The Circular aims at disseminating to the co-op sector in the Philippines theGAD mandate of government, and therefore ensure the promotion of GE and institutionalization of GAD in policies, programs, and other activities of co-ops.


The pursuance of GAD and GE in Philippine co-ops is not a new undertaking, as the seed of gender awareness was planted in the co-op movement in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Co-ops that had embraced GE have been enjoying so far the advantages to their organizations and women and men members of being gender-fair. But, until now, GE efforts have reached a limited number of co-ops and also have achieved a limited quantity and quality of outputs mainly because of the still prevailing gender issues in society that had found their way into co-op structures. These are gender issues that co-ops have to recognize and address with commitment and passion if they believe that GE is a great way to achieve even greater co-op sustainability. And to attain this objective, co-ops need the support and assistance of gender advocates/resource persons in the co-op movement, and the support of government toward achieving GAD and GE.

AWCF and the GERCs thus view CDA’s issuance of the GAD Circular that leads to GE in co-ops as one of the most important steps that will surely bring about the even greater sustainability of Philippine co-ops, in both social and economic fronts. There is no lack of data, proofs, and testimonies on how having GE in co-ops results to stronger, happier, and even more relevant organizations (increased membership, lowered delinquency, more services, etc.) and, subsequently, stronger and happier families that support their co-ops even more. 


Locating the GERCs in co-ops
The GERCs now operating in Luzon,Visayas, and Mindanao regions are based in the following co-operatives:
  
GERC Luzon:
-Abra Diocesan Teachers and EmployeesMulti-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO)
-Bulacan Federation of Cooperatives (BUFECO)
-Ligas Kooperatiba ng Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad (LKBP)
-Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC)
-Sacred Heart Credit and Development Cooperative (SHCDC)
-St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative (SMTCDC)

• Contact persons

Ms Lani Babista  lani_babista@yahoo.com
Ms Divina Quemi (NSCC)  nsccvigan2@yahoo.com

 GERC Visayas:

-Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC)
-Cordova Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CMC)
-Don Bosco Network Multi-Purpose Cooperative(DBNMPC)
-Dumanjug Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DMPC)
-Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC)
-Mandaue City Public Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAVENCO)
-Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative (OCCCI)

• Contact person

Ms Edita Fernandez    Fernandezedita@yahoo.com

 

GERC MASS-SPECC:

   GERC MASS-SPECC is composed of the following co-op organizations—

-MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC)
-Aurora Integrated Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AIM Coop)
-Bukidnon Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative(BUGEMCO)
-Notre Dame of Marbel University Employees DevelopmentCooperative (NDMU Coop)
-Tagum Cooperative (TC)
-Zillovia Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative(ZWMPC) 
(Note:Primary co-ops above compose the MASS-SPECC Gender Equality Committee.)

Also in the GERC MASS-SPECC:
-Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology National Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MSU-IIT NMPC)
-Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC)
-Panabo Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Panabo MPC)
-Pantukan Chess Club Cooperative (PCCC)

• Contact person

Ms Bernadette Toledo   nadettetoledo@yahoo.com.ph


More information on GAD, GE, the GERCs, and GERC AWCF can be obtained from the above-listed GERCs, and from emailing awcf@coopwomen.org

Philippine co-op office issues circular for gender and development

Of interest to Philippine co-ops:

The Philippine government's Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) has issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22, pertaining to "Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development (GAD) in Cooperatives." The CDA Board of Administrators (BOA), led by Chairperson Mr. Emmanuel Santiaguel, PhD,  approved the MC under Resolution Number 245, series of 2013 dated November 18, 2013. The approval was done in the BOA's regular meeting on the said date held at the CDA Central Office in Quezon City, Philippines, with the motion presented by CDA Administrator Ms Mercedes Castillo, seconded by CDA Administrator Mr. Pendatun Disimban, to approve the proposed guidelines pertaining to MC 2013-22. The MC is applicable to co-ops duly registered with the CDA.

Sympathy message from JCCU

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) thanks the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU) and its President Katsumi Asada, and also Kanako Miyazawa of JCCU's International Department, for their message of support to the Philippines and Philippine co-operators in this time of suffering. The AWCF Secretariat holds office in the Philippines.

-----
Dear Sally

We are very sad to hear about the disaster caused by the Super Typhoon
Haiyan. Please find the attached message of sympathy from our President
addressed to you and your organization.

Sincerely yours,
宮沢　佳奈子
Kanako Miyazawa(Ms.)
日本生活協同組合連合会　国際部
International Department,
Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union

AWCF offers sympathy

The women and men of the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) expresses its deepest sympathy to the victims of supertyphoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in the Philippines. We also pray that the supertyphoon will not unleash a similar devastation in Vietnam.

AWCF links up with Philippine city

Quezon City is one of the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines, located in the National Capital Region of the country. It is a center of education, commerce, and social services. It is home to the highest number of registered co-ops in the country. The local government is led by Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Josefina Belmonte.   

The AWCF Secretariat’s office has been located in Quezon City since the time of the organization’s inception in 1990. AWCF, for so many years, has had activities in various locations in the Philippines (as one of its member-countries) in line with promoting its co-op and gender equality (GE) advocacy. This year, AWCF is having the opportunity to start coordinating with its home base, that is, Quezon City, particularly with the Quezon City government, and particularly regarding co-operatives and GE.

AWCF’s link-up with the Quezon City government started when AWCF’s Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe became one of the guest speakers, upon invitation of the Vice Mayor’s office, at the “Tenth Annual Summit” of the Women in Advocacy Cooperative Philippines (WINC Philippines). The Summit was held May 24-25, 2013 in Quezon City, and Ms Ganibe spoke on gender mainstreaming. The WINC Philippines’s Summit was organized in coordination with the Quezon City government. Women leaders from the country’s Region 11 (Davao Region or Southern Mindanao) and other localities attended the Summit.

Meeting the Vice Mayor
Coming from its sharing at the WINC Philippines event, AWCF gained the opportunity to establish initial contact with the Quezon City government. At an audience sought by AWCF with Vice Mayor Belmonte in her City Hall office on June 11, 2013, Ms Ganibe briefly informed the official on AWCF and its activities, and the possibility of AWCF collaborating with the local government especially on gender matters in co-ops. AWCF’s expressed intention to link up or collaborate or with the local government is particularly relevant because Quezon City has the highest number of registered co-ops in the Philippines (681 out of 23,215 co-ops, as of September 2013) and also because the local government actually actively supports co-op development. In her meeting with the Vice Mayor, Ms Ganibe also mentioned the fact that proximity is also an advantage because, after all, AWCF does hold office in the city. AWCF’s meeting with the Vice Mayor was arranged through the help of Ms Rose Canadido with whom Ms Ganibe connected during the WINC Philippines event. Ms Canadido is a co-op leader, women sector representative of the National Capital Region League-Philippine Federation of Credit Cooperatives (NCRL-PFCCO), and an active participant in the co-op council of the Quezon City government.

In the said meeting between the Vice Mayor and Ms Ganibe, the former referred the latter to the Quezon City government’s Sikap Buhay Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Office (SBECO), which is led by Ms Marlyn Siapno, Officer in Charge-Head. Ms Ganibe’s subsequent presentation to Ms Siapno of AWCF’s profile and its desire to be of assistance in gender matters to Quezon City co-ops quickly led to certain developments.

SBECO tapped Ms Ganibe and Ms Maria Theresa Saliendra, AWCF Finance and Administrative Coordinator and GE Trainer, as resource speakers at the “Co-op Day” activity of the Quezon City government, an event held every fourth Tuesday of the month this year 2013. Ms Ganibe spoke on gender mainstreaming in co-ops and Ms Saliendra tackled anti-violence against women in the June and July 2013 “Co-op Day” events, held at the City Hall. These events that feature different forums and other activities every month this year are attended by representatives of co-ops from the different districts of Quezon City.

Preparing for city's co-op summit
Also upon SBECO’s initiative, AWCF became a member of the “Technical Working Group (TWG)” formed for the summit of Quezon City co-ops, to be held October 24, 2013. The TWG was tasked to prepare for the co-op summit through the holding of a pre-summit conference on September 20, 2013 at the Quezon City Hall compound. Co-ops from the city are to take part in the pre-summit and summit conferences, and in the pre-summit conference held, 40 co-ops sent representatives who took part in the conference workshops.

Previous to the planned holding of the co-op summit, the city’s Mayor Bautista had tasked SBECO through Ms Siapno to spearhead the conduct of consultative summits to craft the “Medium-term (2014-2019) Road Map for Micro and Small Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and Cooperatives Development and Promotion.” Subsequently, it is the first comprehensive effort of the city government to craft the “2014-2016 Development Road Map for the Co-op Movement in Quezon City.”

In the pre-summit conference, an inspirational message was given by Quezon City Councilor Joe Visaya, Chair of the city’s Legislative Committee for Cooperatives, and then development perspectives on co-ops were shared by speakers, particularly on the “international perspective” (given by Ms Ganibe); the “national perspective” (given by the Cooperative Development Authority-Manila Extension Office); and the “city perspective” (given by the Quezon City Planning and Development Office.

The pre-summit conference workshops carried the development goal of “Transforming Quezon City Cooperatives into Recognized Sustainable Drivers of Inclusive Growth and Development.” The participants were divided into workshop groups to provide inputs for further discussion in the October summit of Quezon City co-ops. The workshops had these thematic goals: 1. Achieving participatory, accountable, and transparent co-op governance; 2. Transforming co-ops into models for promoting inclusive growth; and 3. Establishing co-ops as the preferred business model for economic development. Workshop discussions were anchored on: 1. Defining the situation of the co-op movement in Quezon City vis-à-vis the development goal; and 2. Identifying strategic options to achieve the thematic goals. The workshop facilitators were AWCF led by Ms Ganibe (for Co-ops and Social Development); Quezon City Union of Cooperatives (QCUC) (for Co-op Governance); and NCRL-PFCCO (for Co-ops and Economic Development).

With its ongoing collaboration with the Quezon City government, AWCF hopes that it will have the opportunity to reach out even more to the numerous co-ops in the city especially on gender-related matters, in the soonest possible time.

AWCF's Ms Ganibe (rightmost) receives her plaque of appreciation from SBECO's Ms Siapno, for being one of the event's resource speakers.

Ms Ganibe facilitated this workshop on co-op social development.

Participants at the workshop group on co-op social development pose with Ms Ganibe and Ms Siapno.

Participants at the Quezon City pre-co-op summit provided inputs to be further discussed at the bigger city co-op summit in October 2013.

Philippine co-ops' GERCs—touching lives begins now

Representatives of gender equality resource centers (GERCs) in co-ops from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the Philippines attended the event "GERC Monitoring Forum and Capacity-Building on Monitoring and Evaluation and Gender Equality Tools for the GERC," held Sept. 11-14, 2013 in Cordova, Cebu, Philippines. The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) organized the event, under the Project “Sustaining Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines,” supported by the We Effect—Swedish Cooperative Centre (We Effect—SCC). Co-ops belonging to the GERC Visayas hosted the event. The event participants also did a co-op study-tour, and they were graciously received by the Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC), Cordova Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CMC), and Mandaue City Public Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAVENCO).

Co-ops composing the GERC Luzon, GERC Visayas, and GERC MASS-SPECC are now busy starting up and even already offering gender equality (GE) services in their own co-ops and to other interested co-ops and organizations. (See http://awcfcoopwomen.blogspot.com/2013/09/philippine-co-ops-gender-equality.html)

The Cebu event was marked by solidarity messages from the representative of Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy and from Mr. Felipe Deri, Regional Director for Region 7 of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). CDA is the Philippines’s main government body concerned with the growth of the country’s co-op movement. Mr. Deri invited the GERC workshop participants to the “Central Visayas Cooperative Congress” to be held October 25-26, 2013 in the Central Visayas area. AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe will be one of the speakers in the said Congress, on the topic of GE in co-ops.

In November this year, the different co-op GERCs will again meet in Bulacan, Philippines, for their monitoring forum and another capacity-building workshop. 

GERC Luzon

GERC Visayas

GERC MASS-SPECC

Philippine co-ops’ gender equality resource centers--ready to serve!

Services of gender equality resource centers (GERCs) based in Philippine co-ops can now be tapped for internal use for the gender-related concerns of the co-ops themselves that have GERCs, by other co-ops, by private and government organizations, and by communities. GERC BUFECO, GERC NSCC, GERC Visayas, and GERC MASS-SPECC are now ready to serve.

In the Luzon region of the Philippines, GERC BUFECO is composed of host-organization Bulacan Federation of Cooperatives (BUFECO) (based in Malolos City), and three of its member-co-ops:

Ligas Kooperatiba ng Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad (LKBP)
Sacred Heart Credit and Development Cooperative (SHCDC)
St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative (SMTCDC).

Also in Luzon is the GERC NSCC, which is formed by host-organization Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC) (based in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur) and one of its member-co-ops, the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO).

In the Visayas region, GERC Visayas is composed of these primary co-ops:

Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC) (based in Cebu City, and also the host-organization of GERC Visayas)
Cordova Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CMC)
Don Bosco Network Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DBNMPC)
Dumanjug Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DMPC)
Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC)
Mandaue City Public Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAVENCO)
Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative (OCCCI).

In the Mindanao region, GERC MASS-SPECC is hosted by the MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC) (based in Cagayan de Oro City) and is formed together with co-ops that sit in the MASS-SPECC GE Committee, which are the:

Aurora Integrated Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AIM Coop)
Bukidnon Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BUGEMCO)
Notre Dame of Marbel University Employees Development Cooperative (NDMU Coop)
Tagum Cooperative (TC)
Zillovia Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ZWMPC).

Other co-ops in the GERC MASS-SPECC are the:
Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology National Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MSU-IIT NMPC)
Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC)
Panabo Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Panabo MPC)
Pantukan Chess Club Cooperative (PCCC).

Most of the co-ops involved in the aforementioned GERCs were participants in the Project “Promoting Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines” (2010-2012) implemented by the AWCF, with support from the We Effect—Swedish Cooperative Centre (We Effect—SCC). The Project enabled these co-ops to become gender-fair organizations, establishing their own GERCs at the primary level.

At the regional level, GERC BUFECO, GERC Visayas, and GERC MASS-SPECC were formed as among the outputs of the Project “Sustaining Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines” (2013), also by the AWCF, still with the support of the We Effect—SCC.

But going beyond the lifetime of the two aforementioned Projects, the GERC BUFECO, GERC Visayas, and GERC MASS-SPECC were formed by co-op federations and primary co-ops committed to pursuing the integration of gender equality (GE) in Philippine co-ops, to making GE alive and active thus helping bring about even more socio-economic benefits to be enjoyed by co-op organizations, the membership, other organizations, and the communities. Additionally, with the same commitment to pursuing GE as had been expressed by the three other GERCs established, the GERC NSCC was formed in the northern part of Luzon.

These co-op-based GERCs aim to deliver effective and timely GE-related services to women and men co-op members, co-operatives, and other interested organizations.

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) has been continuing to provide technical support toward strengthening these GERCs, such as through capacity-building workshops conducted this year under the AWCF-We Effect SCC Project. The latest workshop was done in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, in August 2013, tackling the mainstreaming of GE through the GERC. AWCF is also helping the GERCs systematize operations, such as through the development of the GERC operations manual.

The GERC Vision, Mission, Values
As formulated by the co-ops themselves in a GERC strategic planning in November 2012 in Davao City, convened by AWCF, the GERC’s Vision, Mission, and Values Statements are thus:

VISION
A  Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC) that is holistic, sustainable, responsive, economically and socially harmonized, and enables a gender-fair environment to benefit the co-op members and communities.

MISSION
To enable social, economic, moral, and spiritual improvement and upliftment of the co-op members and the community through:
a) Promoting communication and awareness of gender equality (GE) issues
b) Ensuring sustainability of the GE program in the co-op

VALUES
  GERC COOP
    God-centered
    Equality
    Respect
    Commitment
    Competence
    Openness
    Oneness
    Passion
    --That will lead to healthy and harmonious relationships.


The co-ops’ GERC services
GERCs can offer an array of services that will help co-ops and co-ops’ members, and other institutions become gender-aware, gender-sensitive, and gender-fair, enabling them to take action that will result to even greater social and economic benefits arising from advocating and practicing gender equality. These are among the GE-related services that GERCs in co-ops can give:
•    Being a clearing house of relevant information as it collects, maintains, and distributes materials and information from different organizations

•    Development and strengthening of co-operators who are GE experts, trainers, advocates, and role models to serve within the co-op and also for other coops and organizations that may tap the co-op’s GERC though forums and training

•    Development, production, and distribution of promotional, informational, and educational multi-media materials (e.g., brochures, flyers, comics, posters, pin buttons, stickers, newsletters, videos, training modules); and production of media programs to further disseminate information (e.g., using radio, TV, Internet)

•    Conduct of training and seminars proactively in the co-op, and also proactively offered to other co-ops and organizations or upon request. Among these training and seminars are further integration and enrichment of GE in the co-op’s Pre-Membership Education Seminar (PMES), gender-sensitivity training (GST), GE training, gender and development-family enrichment program (GAD-FEP), training of trainers (TOT), and livelihood training/seminars/programs.

•    Provide access and linkage for financial and technical assistance for the GE program of the co-op; provide same access and linkage to other co-ops and organizations as the GERC can serve as their bridge or link to LGU gender-related programs, gender advocacy groups/experts, etc. 

•    Develop and provide gender-fair livelihood programs to which both men and women have access, and which, therefore, can help bring more future members of both sexes into the co-op

•    Enrichment of the content and conduct of the required technical and non-technical training for co-op officers stipulated in Sec. 5 (Training Requirements for the Officers of the Cooperative) of Rule 7 (Functions, Responsibilities, and Training Requirements of Directors, Officers, and Committee Members) of the “Rules and Regulations Implementing Certain Provisions of the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008

•    Further strengthening of the co-op’s community outreach program through GE-integrated or GE-related activities, thus building up the co-op’s image to the community, including to prospective members

•    Offering of other gender-related services like legal and non-legal gender-related counseling/consultation services for couples (employees and members); medical and dental services; feeding and nutrition program; gender analysis; baseline data gathering (sex-disaggregated data—its many uses include being basis for developing products for members and prospective members); monitoring and evaluation; among other services


The importance and purpose of the GERC established by a co-op (whether at regional or primary level)
•    Strengthens the co-op’s GE program, especially toward generating the socio-economic benefits to help in poverty alleviation through gender advocacy

•    Serves as an avenue for the expression of the passion of gender advocate-co-operators

•    By services it offers, the GERC helps strengthen GE advocacy, practices, and programs in the co-op that has established the GERC as well as in other co-ops and organizations that utilize the GERC’s services

•    To help the co-op address the requirement of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) for the Social Performance Audit


Having a GERC can help the co-op address CDA’s requirement for Social Audit
Article 80, paragraphs 4, 5, and 6 of Republic Act No. 9520 (“Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008”) state that co-ops registered under the said Code shall be “subject to an annual financial, performance and social audit.” The “Rules and Regulations Implementing Certain Provisions of the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008” provides for the social audit of all registered co-ops regardless of types and categories.

In Rule 11 (Social Audit of Cooperatives) of the said “Rules and Regulations,” Sec. 3 (Social Audit) defines “social audit” as a “procedure where the cooperative assesses its social impact and ethical performance vis-à-vis its stated mission, vision, goals and code of social responsibility. It is a process to assess the cooperative’s contribution for the upliftment of the status not only to its members’ economic needs but also social needs and the community where it operates. The cooperative’s actual performance and accomplishment are compared to its vision, goals, and social responsibility as it relates to the impact not only to the community but to its regular members as the immediate beneficiary of the decisions and actions it promulgated, passed and implemented.”

Also in Rule 11, Sec. 4 (Objectives/Uses of Social Audit) states the essence of social audit, that is, that validates the support of the cooperative to the seventh cooperative principle, which is the “Concern for Community.” Social audit can also determine whether the cooperative works for the community’s sustainable development through member-approved policies. Sec. 4 further states that “the audit focuses not only to the economic side of the cooperative but also the social aspect of the organization and appraises the cooperative performance as value-based organization usually participative, user and community oriented and non-profit but service organization and how its social responsibility for its members and the community as a whole was fulfilled.”

Sec. 5 (Components and Social Audit Indicators) of Rule 11 states that social auditing of a co-op shall consist of, but is not limited to, the following major components/categories with its objectives (to wit):
1. Membership. To determine the effectiveness of the cooperative in meeting the needs of its members vis-à-vis the socio-economic upliftment and empowerment of the members.

2. Assets building. To determine the cooperative’s performance in building up its economic capacity to respond to its social responsibility and develop income generating undertakings for its members.

3. Community involvement and solidarity. To determine the degree of community, social, environmental involvement and solidarity of the cooperative. In relation to this, all cooperatives are encouraged to promote environmental awareness and instill environmental protection and conservation to their members and the community where they operate, and as far as practicable to conduct tree-planting activities in the community where they operate or its immediate environs.

4. Information accessing and dissemination. To determine the capability of the cooperative to access, process and disseminate information from/to its members and community. It looks into the function of the organization as an empowering and responsive mechanism.

5. Gender, Youth, Elderly, Children, and Persons with Disability. To determine how the cooperative has contributed in the social capital development for the welfare of the youth, the elderly, children, and persons with disability and the promotion of the gender fair culture and practices.

6. Leadership and organizational management. To highlight the attributes of the leaders/officers of the cooperative and efficiency in managing the affairs of the organization as it relates with its members and with government.

Finally, Sec. 6 (Social Audit Manual) of Rule 11 states that the CDA will develop a “Social Audit Manual” to be used for the conduct of the social audit in co-ops.

 
Why GE in co-ops
•    Pursuing GE is a must for co-ops that believe that every man and woman has a role to play and contribution to make in a co-op’s success

•    GE’s economic and social impact to a co-op becomes even more important taking into account the vast number of Philippine co-ops that can benefit from being gender-fair co-ops, from establishing their own GERCs, or from accessing the services of other co-ops’ GERCs

•    A co-op or group of co-ops operating a GERC gains more latitude and strategic position as a qualified service provider to offer its GE services and expertise to other organizations (e.g., local government units [LGUs] being actually entities with a gender budget) as well as to accept requests from these organizations for their various gender-related needs

•    Pursuing GE is a must for co-ops and co-operators as it is in consonance with adhering to the “Co-operative Principles and Values” as stipulated in the “Statement on the Co-operative Identity,” drawn up by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) (Co-op Principles: Voluntary and Open Membership [“Co-operatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination”]; Democratic Member Control; Member Economic Participation; Autonomy and Independence; Education, Training and Information; Co-operation among Co-operatives; and Concern for Community. Co-ops are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-op members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.)

•    Gender-fair co-ops can have even better socio-economic returns because the tandem that exists between GE and the development of co-ops as business organizations goes two ways. The one way is that the possibilities are virtually endless in so far as advocating for and strengthening GE in the whole co-op movement is concerned, to benefit more women and men co-operators thus further fortifying the co-op movement; the other way is that there also emerge the endless possibilities on how co-ops can act as vehicle for GE and business development to benefit the co-ops, the women and men members, and their families.

•    Gender-fair co-ops are mindful of and take action so that they can deliver gender-sensitive business development services and other co-op programs and services to their members. Gender-fair co-ops take into account the contributions and needs of both women and men members.

•    That co-ops can improve their business operations by being gender-fair is also in keeping with the thrusts of the ICA that has laid down the blueprint for the worldwide campaign of taking the co-op way of doing business to a new level, that is, the “2020 Vision.” The “2020 Vision” seeks to make the co-op form of business by 2020 “become the acknowledged leader in economic, social and environmental sustainability; the model preferred by people; and the fastest growing form of enterprise.”

AWCF promotes gender equality in Philippine co-op body

In 2013, AWCF has been linking up through various activities with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the Philippines’s regulatory body for co-ops in the country. AWCF’s coordination with CDA was spurred by the former’s pursuance of the “Call for Action” issued to the latter in December 2012 that called for this government agency to support gender equality (GE) mainstreaming and integration in co-ops to bring about even greater economic and social benefits to the movement. The Call for Action exhorted CDA, as the most relevant government body in the Philippines that supports co-ops, to take these steps toward promoting GE in co-ops: 1. require gender-sensitivity training or gender-awareness sessions as one of the courses for co-op officers and key management staff; 2. require co-ops to engage in gender-related activities so as to address gender issues in their co-ops and thus become gender-fair and gender-responsive organizations and workplaces; and 3. require co-ops to integrate GE in their bylaws. 

The said Call for Action was drawn up during a public awareness conference organized by AWCF in December 2012 in Quezon City, Philippines, attended by representatives of Philippine co-ops, government and non-government organizations, and other sectors. The conference was one of the culminating activities of AWCF’s 2010-2012 project that promoted GE among 15 Philippine co-ops, which are among the most active and progressive co-ops in the country. The project was funded by the We Effect—Swedish Cooperative Centre. With these 15 co-ops’ experience gained from their participation in AWCF’s GE project, which helped lead the way toward their becoming “GE champions” in the co-op movement, the 15 co-ops took the occasion of the public conference to issue the Call for Action to CDA, relayed at the conference to CDA Executive Director Mr. Niel Santillan. Mr. Santillan was one of the conference’s guests. Later, AWCF sent a copy of the Call for Action directly to the office of CDA Chairperson Mr. Emmanuel M. Santiaguel, Ph.D.

On May 6, 2013, AWCF had the opportunity for exploratory talks with Ms Mercedes Castillo, one of CDA’s Board of Administrators, on the ways by which AWCF can pursue the objectives of the Call for Action on GE earlier given to CDA. The meeting was followed by a series of events held between AWCF and CDA that were either planned or to which AWCF was invited.  In these events, AWCF was able to share to CDA’s officers and staff updates and enhanced knowledge about GE, and GE’s roles in and benefits to the co-op movement. Also discussed in some of these events was the technical support that AWCF can provide to further help CDA act on the objectives of the Call for Action for GE in co-ops.

Rundown of events
In May to July 2013, AWCF linked up with CDA in these activities/events:
1. In May

-AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe was invited to speak on the forum on GE in co-ops organized by a regional office of CDA (Cagayan Valley-Region 2), held in Tuguegarao City, attended by 112 participants from 73 co-ops. The forum’s participants also crafted and issued to CDA their own Call for Action on GE in co-ops. Their Call for Action raised the same points in the earlier Call for Action given to CDA, with the additional concern expressed that GE should be included in the monitoring and evaluation of co-op performance through social audit and visitation.
-Ms Ganibe led AWCF Secretariat staff in conducting with CDA officers and some key personnel a consultation/updating meeting on GE matters in co-operatives. The meeting held at the CDA Central Office in Quezon City was attended by CDA Administrator Ms Castillo, CDA Director for Institutional Development Department (IDD) Ms Fe D. Caingles, and some key personnel from some of CDA’s office departments. Some of these CDA key personnel are likewise involved in this government agency’s gender and development activities. The AWCF and CDA exchanged information on each other’s activities in promoting GE in co-ops, and they had initial discussions on how the two agencies can coordinate in their endeavors toward GE.

2. In June
-CDA Administrator Ms Castillo and CDA Executive Assistant Ms Cheryl Marders were guests at the strategic planning conference convened by AWCF in Manila, for the setting up of GE resource centers (GERCs) in co-ops in the country. Ms Castillo, a long-time co-op trainer and officer and also gender advocate in the private co-op movement of the country before she joined CDA, gave her message of support to the AWCF conference. Leaders and gender focal persons from various Philippine co-ops attended the conference. The conference was actually one of the processes that AWCF is implementing together with co-ops in the country in setting up and operating GERCs that will institutionalize the co-ops’ gender programs and activities. Also a guest at the said event was Ms Emelina Santos, Group Head for Member Relations and Networking of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippines.
-AWCF responded to invitations from CDA to give a GE orientation to 1) CDA’s Board of Administrators and Executive Committee officers held at the CDA Central Office, wherein Ms Ganibe and AWCF consultant Ms Emma Nieva, who is a co-op leader based in Mindanao, Philippines, gave inputs on GE; and 2) CDA-National Capital Region staff, held in San Mateo, Rizal, Philippines. AWCF Secretariat staff Ms Theresa Saliendra and Mr. Ranie Catimbang handled the session for the CDA staff.

3) in July

-In Davao City, Ms Ganibe gave a GE orientation to the Cooperative Research, Information, and Training Division (CRITD) staff and gender focal persons from the CDA national and regional offices.
-CDA Administrator Ms Castillo invited Ms Ganibe to a meeting with Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairperson Ms Remedios Rikken to discuss coordination between CDA and PCW for gender-sensitivity training to be scheduled for conduct in CDA. The meeting was held at the PCW offices in Manila.

GE and co-ops
With its coordinating activities being done with CDA as part of its GE promotion and advocacy in a member-country (with the AWCF having members in the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam), AWCF hopes that it can contribute to the Philippine co-op movement’s even stronger and even more sustainable development by helping the co-ops develop more effective advocacy and actions on GE to benefit the organizations themselves and the members. And when the support to GE efforts of co-ops will itself come from the country’s most relevant government body on co-ops (CDA), the co-op movement can expect even more forthcoming benefits for and from its GE advocacy and actions.

Strengthening GERCs in Philippine co-ops

On August 1-3, 2013 in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) convened the "Capacity-building on Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Co-operatives through the Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC)" event. The gathering put together women and men participants from GERCs from co-ops located in the Philippine island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The event was held under the AWCF Project "Sustaining Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines," supported by the We Effect-Swedish Cooperative Centre (We Effect-SCC), with fund support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Host-organization of the event was the MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC), with a study-visit hosted by MSU-IIT National Multi-purpose Cooperative (MSU-IITNMPC) in Iligan City, Philippines.

 

Co-ops and Families: Stronger with Gender Equality!

Co-ops, AWCF hold strategic planning for gender equality resource center

In the strategic planning event for gender equality resource centers (GERCs) in co-ops, the representatives of Philippine co-ops and the AWCF Secretariat (led by AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe) were joined by guests Ms Mercedes Castillo of the Board of Administrators of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Philippines; Ms Cherryl Marders, also of CDA; and Ms Emelina Santos, Head of the Member Relations and Networking Group of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippines. This event and ongoing process is part of a gender equality project of AWCF supported by We Effect-Swedish Cooperative Centre.

AWCF's training courses for co-ops and other organizations, 2013

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) offers specialized gender-integrated training courses to benefit women and men. Here is the training program of AWCF for 2013, in the Philippines. For details on these training courses, please e-mail AWCF at awcf@coopwomen.org 

AWCF also welcomes inquiries from other Asian co-ops/organizations about its training courses. In the Philippines, AWCF is a Cooperative Development Authority (CDA)-Accredited Training Provider, with Accreditation Number CTPRO 070.

 

 

AWCF's greetings for "International Women's Day" 2013

Happy International Women's Day 2013! May all women be seen and heard in all aspects of society: As a real (not token) acknowledgment of their needs, contributions, and involvement. 

ICA issues messages for "International Women's Day"--2013

“The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum!”
Messages for the “International Women’s Day”—March 8, 2013
from Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA); and María Eugenia Pérez Zea, Chair of the ICA Gender Equality Committee










Over the last four decades, the position of women has made some progress; however, it is still too little and too long in coming. Let us encourage our daughters, and granddaughters. Let us insist that today’s world demands equality for each individual whether man or woman.

Today the world faces unparalleled challenges. What we know today is that the traditional approaches to governing society, managing businesses, financing public services, handling conflict and war are simply no longer relevant.

Having more women in key decision-making places in political, economic and social decision-making at all levels in society is the way to move away from the sort of decision-making that has served us so poorly in recent years.

Today we want a different approach–one that values each individual and the contribution they can make to building a better world.

We can no longer put up with a world where it is acceptable to shoot a girl child for wanting to go to school, or to disregard the crime of rape against a woman who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We thought the campaign for equality was about low pay, discrimination, humiliation or glass ceilings in the work place, or by hunger and poverty. But it is more, all too often it is a classic case of oppression and repression. Building a better world is about allowing each person to flourish and fulfill their potential–nothing else will do.

We want to prioritise policies for people; one that values businesses that have people at the heart of economic decision making and not profit; one that believes that money is better spent on creating a fairer, more just legal and social environment rather than funding political despots or trading in conflict.

Co-operative businesses have done so much to help women onto the ladder of economic activity. With that come community respect, political legitimacy and influence. So far it has come too slowly. It is time for us to show that our co-operative movement can be a movement for the economic, social and political emancipation of all women.

This is the real co-operative message of International Women’s Day.

Dame Pauline Green
President, International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)













Today, the International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world and it is the right opportunity to give an even greater emphasis to the fundamental role of women in achieving development, peace and security. There is increasing evidence of the rapid progress of women and their expanding beneficial role in today’s world development though there are still huge challenges ahead to insure their strength.

We have reached a turning point in history. It has become urgent to redefine the stereotypes of power and leadership about women to make sure that they enjoy an equal treatment in the decision-making processes and that they are allowed to make a maximum contribution to socio-economic development. The lessons of history are that the negative repercussions of inequality are borne by mankind as a whole, and therefore to achieve women’s equality everyone must engage in the process.

A large array of studies assert that there is an essential link between aiming at obtaining equal rights for women and reducing poverty, improving health and education, alleviating the climate change effects and making headway towards more sustainable development. All these objectives are shared by the world co-operative movement, are interdependent and support gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Therefore the co-operative business model is an ideal platform to break down the barriers of inequality and is the preferential model to enable women to have access to a participatory democracy, to decision-making bodies, to markets and technology, and above all, to protect them from the injustice of the current dominant development model.

The need for more and better qualified human capital is increasingly growing and women's entrepreneurial potential is still underexploited. One third of entrepreneurs are women but their number is on the increase, more particularly in low-income countries. It is also estimated that more than half of cooperative members are women. These women leaders are often co-operative leaders. Women MPs, judges and activists are promoting change and a distinct way of operating. Governments and civil society are testing new approaches to ensuring that women have wider access to legal procedures, through gender-sensitive legal reforms. We are all aware that with a proper education, knowledge of their rights and decision-making power women are better able to demand what they should be entitled to enjoy.

The Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women was ratified by 186 countries. 125 declared domestic violence illegal; 117 countries have laws on equal pay; and 115 countries guarantee women’s equal rights to property, and more.

However, we still live in a society which allows lower pay for women. In three quarters of the planet, women are the major victims of poverty, ill-treatment and daily harassment.

The belief of thousands of co-operative members that any discrimination based on gender is a major obstacle to democracy and a sustainable development urges us to promote, defend and seek to enforce women’s and girls’ rights. To this end we should encourage education processes to empower women, to facilitate their promotion to the administrative and management leadership, and to change the statistical data of the representation of men and women.

Currently our societies are confronted with difficult challenges from an economic nature to an environmental one and time might have come to take advantage of these opportunities to show that changes can be shaped in such difficult periods. I invite every single co-operative to give the highest priority in its policies to the equal recognition of rights and opportunities to Women.

ICA recognizes that the Gender Agenda has gained more relevance than ever before and it is our opportunity to seek even more equality for women—by showcasing that our leadership is the most effective model for socio-economic development. 

María Eugenia Pérez Zea
Chair, International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) Gender Equality Committee











Source: ICA-Asia and Pacific office

AWCF shares resources in trainers’ training in Japan

With the invitation from the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU), the Asian Women in Co-operative Development (AWCF)’s Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe facilitated a topic during the “Training of Trainers Workshop (Pilot test of Resource Guide)” held February 14, 2013 at the Co-op Plaza, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan. JCCU organized this trainers’ training as an activity of the International Co-operative Alliance-Asia Pacific (ICA-AP)’s Regional Women’s Committee. The 83 participants came from a government Cabinet office (1); member-co-operatives of JCCU (67); JCCU (12); and overseas (3).

Ms Ganibe’s presentation was themed “Co-operative governance through gender equality (GE).” To emphasize the message that the advocacy and practice of GE can improve and expand the leadership and operation of co-ops, she discussed the:

• GE strategy of the ICA
• importance of GE in co-ops
• examples of GE practices and GE mainstreaming culled from Fukui Co-op in Japan, the GE experience of 15 co-ops in the Philippines (that had participated in a three-year GE project of AWCF in the country), and the GE strategy of the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), which is AWCF’s member in Thailand.

Participants at this trainers’ training rated their Workshop as “very excellent and worthwhile” mainly because of the sharing during the discussions on the co-op experiences on women empowerment and GE among JCCU member-co-ops, and also of the experiences from other countries shared by Ms Ganibe and Ms Savitri Singh, ICA-AP Advisor, Gender Program and Communication.

In February 2008, JCCU also had Ms Ganibe as a resource person on GE in an event likewise held in Japan, together with Ms Norma Pereyras, a co-op leader and gender advocate from the Philippines, who was then a Board Director (as Women Sector Representative) of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO)—a Philippine co-op federation.


Other speakers
The Tokyo Workshop’s opening address was given by Ms Rie Saikawa, Organizing Committee and Board Member of Nagano Prefectural Consumer Co-operative Federation; and the welcome address was delivered by Ms Akiko Kawamoto, Organizing Committee and Board Member of Saitama Co-operative. The introduction of the ICA-AP Regional Women’s Committee was done by its Chairperson Ms Hitomi Tanaka, who is also Board Member of JCCU/Saitama Co-operative.

Meanwhile, Ms Savitri introduced to the participants the “Resource Guide for Advanced Training of Co-operatives on Entrepreneurship Development of Women and Gender Equality” that is being developed by the ICA-AP. (This Tokyo Workshop was a trainers’ training for a part of the Resource Guide, specifically Chapter 2, which is the “Cooperative Governance.”)

Exchange of ideas was emceed by Ms Mari Asano, Standing Board Member of Pal System Saitama. The orientation on Japanese co-ops’ initiatives on women focused on the Smile Café Project, as given by Ms Yukari Okumoto, Board Member of Chiba Co-operative; and on the Kanagawa Co-op case study, as given by Ms Masako Masuda, Board Member of Kanagawa Co-op, and Ms Akemi Kawahira, Trainer in Members Activities.

The event’s closing message was shared by Mr. Yoshiya Niwano, Organizing Committee and Board Member of JCCU/Chair of the Touto Consumer Co-operative.

AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe (3rd from left, sitting) talked on gender equality at the ICA-AP's trainers' training in Japan. Photo also shows Ms Hitomi Tanaka (2nd from left, standing), ICA-AP Regional Women's Committee (RWC) Chair; Ms Divina Quemi (leftmost, sitting), ICA-AP RWC Vice Chair; Ms Savitri Singh (middle, sitting), ICA-AP Advisor, Gender Program and Communication; and other personalities who attended the trainers' training.