Co-op trainers training on gender this September

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) will hold the "Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender for Co-operatives" on September 2-5, 2014 in the Philippines. Venue is the Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. This TOT is for members of co-ops' Gender Committee and Education Committee; Gender Focal Persons; human resource staff; and trainers who will handle gender education in co-ops.

Interested co-operators can contact the Manila-based AWCF Secretariat for this training and other gender equality-related concerns. E-mail: 
gadsummit@coopwomen.org or gender.coop@yahoo.com. Mobile: 09178436390 or 09174579228.


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WHY GENDER IN CO-OPS?--A Backgrounder

Co-operatives, being both social and economic enterprise, have a role to play in ensuring that the benefits gained from co-operation are equally shared by women and men members. This is warranted in two of the "Seven Principles of Co-operatives": under Principle 1) Voluntary and Open Membership,  and Principle 2) Democratic Member Control. In the Philippines, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the New Co-op Law, Rule 11, Section 5 on Social Audit of Co-ops also requires organizations to show activities and programs on their contribution to the promotion of gender-fair culture and practices.

On November  18,  2013,  the  Philippines's Cooperative  Development  Authority  (CDA)  issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22 “Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development  (GAD) in Cooperatives" (http://cda.gov.ph/images/Issuances/MCs/MC2013-22-Guidelines-on-mainstreaming-GAD-in-coops.pdf). This MC on GAD aims at disseminating to the co-op sector the GAD mandate of the Philippine government so as to ensure the promotion of gender equality (GE) and the institutionalization of GAD in policies,  programs,  and other activities in co-ops.  Since co-operatives are the key development players in rural communities, GAD is important to co-ops’ sustainability.

GAD efforts of co-ops enable them to integrate GE that leads, in turn, to even more economic and social growth in the  co-ops because:

• with GE, co-ops give attention to the needs and contributions of both women and  men members, and
• equal opportunities given to both women and men help strengthen even more the co-ops and communities.

>National summit on GAD was held
In March 2014, the Philippines's "National Summit on GAD in Co-ops" was held in Subic Bay, Philippines, organized by the CDA and AWCF.  It was attended by 568 delegates from 429 co-op organizations. A "Declaration and Call for Action" of the National Summit  was crafted by the participants, which contained the co-ops' concerns and recommendations/resolutions about GE, and the co-ops' commitments in  bringing about and strengthening GAD in co-ops. The Declaration and Call for Action emphasized the mainstreaming GAD in the co-ops to bring gender perspective to all aspects of the co-op policy, development plans and activities, budget, mechanisms and instruments through buildinggender  capacity  and  accountability.

>TOT on gender for co-ops is made available
The TOT on gender to be held by AWCF is part of the GAD mainstreaming activities of co-ops. Co-ops need to:

• capacitate people to support the continuing GE education of the co-op members, officers, and staff
• update and enhance skills customized to the functions of the co-ops' Gender Committee and Education Committees; Gender Focal Persons; human resource staff; and trainers

There is the need to integrate gender in the co-operatives' education program and even in the human resource development program. Therefore, the TOT on gender for co-ops will aim to provide understanding on the basic concepts of GE and its importance to the kind of work that co-ops and other organizations do to inspire change for women and men--for the development of the co-ops.

Recognizing that there is still much work to be done in raising the GE awareness of both women and men in co-ops, AWCF will conduct this TOT on Gender for Co-ops to help trainers and advocates enhance their skills specifically in handling gender education.

As a Asian regional organization on gender and co-op development, AWCF works in and through co-ops in the region. Among its programs that had been implemented recently were capacity-building on gender for a number of Philippine co-operatives that have now become gender-fair and gender-sensitive organizations that enjoy the economic and social benefits of GE (see AWCF website http://coopwomen.org). 

GAD and gender equality make co-op operations and service even more sustainable

Gender and development (GAD) is important to co-operatives’ sustainability. GAD efforts of co-ops enable them to integrate gender equality that leads to even more economic and social growth in the co-ops. With gender equality, co-ops give attention to the needs and contributions of both women and men members. Equal opportunities given to both women and men help strengthen even more the co-ops and communities. International agreements and conventions advocate GAD and gender equality as important factors in development. The "Statement on the Co-operative Identity (SCI)" of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) enshrines the value of equality and equity, and highlights the participation of both women and men in the co-ops. In the Philippines, laws, executive orders, and circulars stress the importance of GAD efforts in fulfilling the government's nation-building goals. The importance of GAD and gender equality is also emphasized in Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22, pertaining to “Guidelines on Mainstreaming GAD in Cooperatives,” issued by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) on November 18, 2013. (See http://cda.gov.ph/images/Issuances/MCs/MC2013-22-Guidelines-on-mainstreaming-GAD-in-coops.pdf) CDA is the Philippine government’s lead agency in co-op development. MC 2013-22 aims at disseminating to the co-op sector the GAD mandate of the Philippine government to ensure the promotion and institutionalization of GAD and gender equality in co-ops’ policies, programs, and other activities.

In the Philippines’s private co-op sector, there are already gender-fair co-operatives that can attest to the economic and social benefits of advocating and practicing gender equality. These gender-fair co-ops also want to help other co-ops fulfill their GAD and gender equality objectives and needs. Thus some of them have together formed Gender Equality Resource Centers (GERCs) based in the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions of the country. These GERCs’ gender focal specialists and advocates have themselves undergone intensive trainers’ training in gender equality and are also long-time co-op advocates and workers. The GERCs are ready to help fellow co-ops and other development agencies achieve greater sustainability in operations and service through gender equality.
 
Where are the GERCs in Philippine co-ops? 

GERC Luzon
Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-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 and
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 persons: Ms Edita Fernandez  Fernandezedita@yahoo.com and
Ms Rosie Agbay  van2baylon@yahoo.com

GERC MASS-SPECC
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 Development Cooperative (NDMU Coop)
Tagum Cooperative (TC)
Zillovia Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ZWMPC) LOGO
(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

Co-ops help co-ops, amid "Yolanda"

Supertyphoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) claimed many lives and destroyed many properties in the Philippines in November 2013, particularly in provinces of the Visayas region of the country. But though Yolanda had caused much devastation, it failed to break the spirit of fellowship and co-operation. Public and private organizations, and individuals immediately mobilized relief assistance for Yolanda’s survivors, even as these survivors’ locations were still hard to reach right after the calamity. Philippine co-operatives and their officers, staff, and members in the affected areas were among those who needed help. Fellow co-operators thereby launched fund-raisers and collection of goods to aid these co-ops as well as other survivors.

AWCF, with its Secretariat based in the Philippines and with projects involving Philippine co-ops, sent a letter of appeal to its member-organizations, partner-co-ops, and other friends. The appeal, signed by AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe, aimed at raising funds and other forms of support for co-operators in the affected areas. The National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), AWCF’s member in the Philippines, also implemented its assistance drive for Yolanda’s survivors.

Donations raised and turned over

AWCF's appeal for help was able to raise funds from within the Philippines and from other countries. AWCF turned over these funds to Visayas-based co-ops. Co-ops belonging to the “Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC) Visayas” purchased goods that they themselves distributed to affected co-op members and their families in certain far-flung villages. AWCF turned over some other funds to the Metro Ormoc Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (OCCCI) in Ormoc, Leyte province, as assistance to its staff who were also Yolanda survivors. (Leyte is among the hardest hit areas of Yolanda.) Amid their own dire situation after Yolanda, the OCCCI staff became busy at reaching out to their Co-op’s members who were also among the hardest hit by the supertyphoon. As of this writing, AWCF is still consolidating other donated funds for forwarding to other Yolanda survivors.

The first photo below shows Ms Ganibe turning over AWCF’s collected funds to Mr. Jose Mosquite, Chief Executive Officer of OCCCI, in simple rites in Cebu City, Philippines, December 18, 2013. The second photo shows Ms Ganibe handing over AWCF’s support to Ms Gloria Gaviola, OCCCI Vice Chairperson, also in Cebu City, December 20, 2013. In the next photo, Ms Ganibe and Ms Gaviola are joined by representatives of the GERC Visayas co-ops (note: OCCCI is also a member of the GERC Visayas), and AWCF consultants. AWCF and its friends from different countries also extended support to OCCCI Human Resources Manager and Gender Focal Person Ms Marilyn Pelin and to former AWCF Administrative Officer Ms Aster Penaranda who, together with their families, are likewise residents of Leyte.

Message from OCCCI

In OCCCI’s letter signed by Mr. Mosquite on December 20, 2013 and sent to Ms Ganibe, the Co-op thanked AWCF for the “strong partnership as partner-conduit in uplifting the lives of the people and the community, and toward poverty alleviation.” The letter also said that the donations and assistance turned over by AWCF helped “OCCCI to directly cater to the needs of its staff, officers, and members that brought relief and joy to them, especially concerning the sustenance of their survival and recuperation.” The letter came with an attached copy of the OCCCI Board resolution that extended gratitude to all its partners that had assisted the Co-op because of Yolanda. The OCCCI Board Chairperson is Fr. Cornelio Amante Jr.

Thanks from AWCF

AWCF thanks all its member-organizations, partners, and friends for their warm and immediate response to its appeal for help for the Yolanda survivors.

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

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 promotes GE in co-op summit

AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome A. Ganibe was among the speakers in the Philippines’s 11th “National Cooperative Summit," organized by the Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC), October 10-12, 2012 in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.  

Summit theme was "Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better Philippines: Transformative Cooperatives for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace,” and about 3,000 co-operators/delegates attended. Ms Ganibe spoke on “Gender Equality in Co-ops: Empowering Households” and presented an accompanying video documentary (later expanded into this version of the video). Ms Ganibe emphasized to the audience that the socio-economic benefits of GE integration in co-op organizations will also benefit their membership, especially in the household level. And the benefits and changes ensuing in the household will, in turn, make the co-op an even stronger and more effective vehicle for change, for both women and men.

Co-ops give update for GE Project

On July 25-26, 2012 in Antipolo City, Philippines, the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) convened the “Third Monitoring Forum” of the "Promoting Gender Equality Among Philippine Co-operatives" Project. AWCF is implementing the Project (2010-2012) under the “Advancing Civic Capacities for Effective and Sustainable Services to the Poor (ACCESS to the Poor),” which is the country program for the Philippines of the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Representatives of the 15 Philippine co-ops taking part in the AWCF-SCC Project attended the Monitoring Forum. They presented updates of the Project’s implementation in their respective organizations. The co-ops were represented by their General Managers/Chief Executive Officers, Board Chairpersons/Directors, Chairpersons/Members of their GE Committee, and some Gender Focal Persons (GFPs) (31 co-op representatives: 21 women and 10 men). Also present at the event, upon invitation by the AWCF, were the SCC Philippine Country Director Ms Anneli Leina (who was to leave her office in early August 2012), Ms Jessica Soto (Ms Leina’s successor), and Administrative staff Mr. Jun Gandingan. Representing the AWCF Secretariat were Officer in Charge (OIC) Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF-SCC Project Manager Ms Emma Nieva, and Project Assistant, Ms Teresa Saliendra. Some of AWCF’s consultants were also present in the Monitoring Forum. 

The GE Project 
AWCF’s Gender Equality (GE) Project with SCC began with the signing in April 2010 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the 15 co-ops and the AWCF to work for the Project Objective of strengthening local capacities and creating favourable policies for the promotion of GE among these co-ops, located in the country’s Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions. From thereon, AWCF and the 15 co-ops together engaged in interventions related to human resource capacity-building; strengthening of plans, systems, and structures; research and policy advocacy; and project planning, monitoring and evaluation/capacity-building. Through these interventions, the Project intended to solidify the gender-related services and advocacies to be systematically offered to and participated in by co-ops. In turn, the co-ops were expected to be assisted in their transformation into being gender-fair co-ops and gender-fair workplaces. And being gender-fair, the co-ops were hoped to more effectively implement gender-related activities that will enable the promotion and practice of GE in the organizational areas of people, policies, systems, and structure.  


Talking about accomplishments

Before the 15 co-ops had their turn in reporting to the body the progress of their GE-related activities for the past 12 months, Ms Nieva gave a summing up or overview of the accomplishments of the Project since January 2012. She gave the following Project highlights:

• the 15 co-ops’ aggressive promotion of GE in their organization, with the coordination of AWCF in some activities, resulted in significant increase in the awareness on GE, and more positive perception by the co-ops’ leadership and management with regard to addressing the needs and rights of the members
• the 15 co-ops’ positive actions toward formulating and implementing gender-responsive and gender-fair policies/practices have brought forth these key results in the co-ops: formulated GE vision, mission, goals, and objectives; improved organizational structure, personnel policies (including GE-enhanced human resource policy manual, and GE manual); and improved services to address the needs of women and men members
• as to the quantitative indicators aimed at by AWCF’s GE Project, which are number of women-officers in the boards of these co-ops increased by 20%; at least 50% of these co-ops’ staff are women; and number of women members in these co-ops increased by 20%, the following results were achieved, so far, by the 15 co-ops (see Table 1 below):

• the Project capacitated the co-ops to prepare policies to ensure that women and men are always represented in the leadership: the increase in women’s number in the BOD composition indicates that women are given more opportunity to become leaders and to take part in the co-ops’ decision-making process
• the co-ops were able to identify a total of 15 GFPs, 15 alternate GFPs, and 35 gender role models/advocates, all of whom have undergone orientation on GE as the Project was able to help them be gender-sensitive; be capacitated to develop their own co-ops’ gender training modules and materials; and, most importantly, be trainers able to conduct GE-related training
• 10,816 participants from the 15 co-ops participated in 24 different roll-out GE- related training conducted by these co-ops’ GE Committee, GFPs, and gender role models/advocates
• the co-ops formed and instituted their GE programs; prepared their GE training modules; and integrated GE learning/sessions in their regularly conducted pre-membership education seminars for prospective members, and in their ownership seminars and other activities for members
• as indicated in record sheets of the 15 co-ops compared to results of the baseline study that AWCF had conducted among them at the start of the Project, these co-ops overall greatly improved in their efforts to mainstream gender in their organizations.

Challenges remain
Ms Nieva also stated the challenges that the 15 co-ops and also AWCF are facing in their gender journey, in relation to the Project and even beyond. Some of these challenges are:

• intensive learning for the co-ops on setting up in their organizations a project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (PIME) system for GE
• need for the co-ops to train more GE trainers to reach the big number of membership
• need for the co-ops to have continuous gender-sensitizing activities/training, especially for incoming/new officers because leaders change periodically in co-ops; the same activities/training should also be given to staff/new staff
• need to address rural women’s demands on addressing their lack of knowledge and skills on business and enterprise development as well as on other livelihood projects, and developing these into family enterprises.

  
Co-ops update on progress
The aforementioned accomplishments for the GE Project reported by Ms Nieva found validation in the updates given later by the 15 co-ops’ representatives in the Monitoring Forum for their Project-related activities. In acknowledging the reports that lasted the whole two days of the Forum, Ms Ganibe underscored to the body the highlights of the co-ops’ presentations as the additional notable major accomplishments of the GE Project, such as:

• the growth of the co-ops in their ranking from having low scores (or even “zero” for some co-ops) in the GE rapid assessment survey conducted among them at the Project’s start—currently, (in the Project’s third year) the co-ops have moderate to almost full ranking in the different components of the assessment survey. The improvement in ranking comes from the efforts of the co-ops themselves aside from the personal efforts given by the co-operators who have undergone the different capacity-building activities of the Project (directly or in roll-out activities/training).
• the co-ops are now enlarging their GE advocacy as they reach out to even more members, and even extending and sharing their GE expertise with other organizations like local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs), among other organizations
• with the budget for GE having been approved by the co-ops’ Boards, the co-ops are doing many more gender-related activities such as continuing the GE education given to much more numbers of members
• the co-ops, in general, have put in place the appropriate systems to enable their GE program’s sustainability and continuity. As such, the GE program will continue to exist despite certain factors that may otherwise affect it such as leadership and staff changes. For instance, a co-op’s GE Committee has been made in-charge of the GE program, and the GE Committee has been made a standing committee of the co-op; a co-op’s GE resource center (or GERC, with the GE program operating with it) has been put under the Business Development Services (BDS) of the co-op, with the BDS being part of the co-op’s structure; or a co-op has tasked its Human Resource Department to take care of the GE program. These are just some of the ways by which the 15 co-ops have institutionalized the GE program/advocacy in their organizations.
• the co-ops’ clear delineation in their structures/systems of their GE Committee, GFPs, and gender models/advocates have helped strengthen their GE resource services. Furthermore, a number of these co-ops have leveled up by starting to establish their GERC, after securing their Boards’ approval of their GERC’s plan and budget (Note: The co-ops’ establishment of the GERC or, at least, the strengthening of the co-ops’ GE resource services, was discussed during a national forum on the GERC that had been held by the 15 co-ops, as organized by the AWCF in line with the GE Project’s objectives, in June 2012 in Cebu.)
• whereas there was not even a mention of the co-ops’ possible linking up with LGUs when the AWCF GE Project was just starting in 2010, now some of the co-ops have established partnership with their LGUs. For instance, the LGUs are now tapping a number of these co-ops as GE experts who render GE services, such as by being the LGUs’ trainers or resource speakers. The co-ops may not be earning largely from their partnership with the LGUs at this point, but the benefits for the co-ops from this partnership are manifold. With the co-ops’ additional experience and exposure gained from working together with the LGUs, they further firm up their reputation as both co-op and GE experts. Also, with the co-ops’ tie-up with the LGUs (which are mandated to have a gender budget), they are able to conduct GE training in different barangays (villages) that give them more opportunities to reach the co-op members as well gain more members.
• in relation to being tapped as GE experts by LGUs and other organizations, the co-ops have gained recognition and awards for their expertise
• the 15 co-ops, located in different areas of the Philippines, have established “friendships” among themselves as they share learning, experience, and efforts in helping and supporting one another in simple GE-related partnerships (e.g., conducting GE activities)
• one of the manifestations of the increased importance given by the co-ops to GE is their development and offering of products/services accessible to both women and men members, even if these products/services were initially offered to women only. Thus the co-ops have become gender-fair by giving access to both sexes to these products/services. For some of the co-ops, this situation has even led to the increased number of both women and men membership.
• the co-ops have also shown in a variety of ways that the BDS and GERC within their organizations can be integrated together to maximize social and economic benefits for both co-ops and members (e.g., integrating GE education in the members’ activities like livelihood training and loan seminars) (and which also puts to fore the co-ops’ “corporate social responsibility”)
• with all their commitment, activities, experience, expertise, and recognition gained in and through GE, the 15 co-ops are now able to proudly say that they are “GE Champions” in the Philippine co-op movement.

Ms Ganibe also commended the co-ops for the quality of their reporting in the Monitoring Forum. She said that the co-ops’ Powerpoint, video, live storytelling, and narrative reports in the Forum had shown how they apply to their GE advocacy the learning shared with them in the capacity-building seminars (e.g., trainers’ training) conducted through the GE Project. 


Joint activities  
The Monitoring Forum ended with discussions between AWCF and the 15 co-ops on their remaining joint activities of the Project for 2012 as well as on the continued promotion and establishment of the GERC among the co-ops and also with other co-ops in the Philippines. SCC’s Ms Leina expressed her organization’s continuing support to the co-ops for their GE endeavors.

The 15 partner-co-ops in the AWCF-SCC Project for GE are (Luzon) Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC); Ligas Kooperatiba ng  Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad; Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives; St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative; and Sacred Heart Credit and Development Cooperative; (Visayas) Don Bosco Network MPC; Cordova MPC; Dumanjug MPC; Lamac MPC; and Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative; and (Mindanao) Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology MPC; Paglaum MPC; Panabo MPC; Pantukan Chess Club Cooperative; and Tagum Cooperative.

Resource centers to boost co-ops’ gender equality advocacy

 

The “AWCF National Consultation on the Proposed Gender Equality Resource Center/Service for Philippine Co-ops” was held June 7-8, 2012 in Hidden Valley Resort in Pinamungajan, Cebu, Philippines. The consultation conference was hosted by the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC), which also developed, owns, and operates the Resort as one of its facilities and services.

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) convened the conference to enable discussion among co-ops on the possible setting up, operation, and support to their own gender equality (GE) resource center (GERC) or GE resource service (GERS). The GERC/GERS is seen particularly as a levelling up or expansion of the GE program that a co-op may be implementing currently or in the future. This levelling up includes, among other enhancements, the even greater visibility and impact of GE-related activities to an increased number of members and also to other organizations that may tap the co-ops’ GE expertise. Establishing the GERC/GERS is also one of the thrusts of the “Promoting Gender Equality Among Philippine Co-operatives” Project (2010-2012) that AWCF is implementing in the Philippines, with support from the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC). The Project is under the SCC’s “ACCESS to the Poor Program in the Philippines” for which other organizations, aside from AWCF, are implementing projects to benefit various Philippine sectors.

Participants at the Cebu consultation conference were gender advocates (officers, management, and gender focal persons) of Philippine co-ops from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao island groups taking part in the AWCF-SCC Project. The 15 partner-co-ops of the Project now have gender-integrated bylaws, policies, programs, and services; and gender-aware officers, management, staff, and members. The AWCF-SCC Project had conducted orientation, consultations, and training activities aimed at developing or enhancing these co-ops’ GE awareness, capabilities, and advocacy.   

Also present at the conference as AWCF’s Officer in Charge for this GE Project was Ms Emma Nieva, Vice President for Internal Affairs of AWCF and who is also the outgoing Women Sector Representative in the Board of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), AWCF’s member-organization in the Philippines. The current Women Sector Representative to the NATCCO Board Ms Divina Quemi was also at the Cebu conference because she was likewise one of the two representatives to this conference from the Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC), one of the participating co-ops in the AWCF-SCC Project.     

At the Cebu conference, the co-ops in attendance recognized that a GERC/GERS can help co-ops in further living their vision and mission toward serving the people. These co-ops had given their various levels of commitment at the conference to establishing their GERC/GERS, and some of them, in fact, stated their plan to put up their GERC/GERS within 2012.

Also in 2012, AWCF will publish an informational primer and invite stakeholders to a national forum, all geared to further promoting the creation of GERC/GERS among Philippine co-ops.

Aside from LMPC and NSCC, the other Philippine co-ops involved in the AWCF-SCC Project are (Luzon) Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative [MPC]; Ligas Kilusang Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad; St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Cooperative; and Sacred Heart Credit and Development Cooperative; (Visayas) Don Bosco MPC; Cordova MPC; Dumanjug MPC; and Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative; (Mindanao) Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) MPC; Paglaum MPC; Panabo MPC; Pantukan Chess Club Cooperative; and Tagum Cooperative. Only two of these co-ops were not able to join the Cebu conference. Meanwhile, Sta. Cruz Savings and  Development Cooperative, which had joined a previous AWCF-SCC gender project, was also present in the conference.

 

PWDs co-op undergoes gender training

AWCF held the “Gender Sensitivity Training (GST)” for the Philippine organization National Federation of Cooperatives of Persons with Disability (NFCPWD). Upon NFCPWD's invitation, AWCF conducted the GST on January 24-26, 2012 in Ermita, Manila, Philippines.

The AWCF team was led by Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe. Mr. Anthony Sese, gender trainer of Ligas Kooperatiba ng Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad (LKBP)-Bulacan, assisted AWCF in conducting the GST.

Gender focal persons of Philippine co-ops hold seminar

AWCF trains more GE trainers

A series of capacity-building activities to develop gender equality (GE) advocates in the Philippine co-op sector is among the components of the partnership between AWCF and the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC), which is the “Promoting Gender Equality Among Co-operatives in the Philippines" Project. This Project is under the “Advancing Civic Capacities for Effective and Sustainable Services to the Poor (ACCESS to the Poor)" Programme (2010-2012), supported by the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC), with fund support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). In October 2010, in Cebu, Philippines, AWCF conducted the first capacity-building workshop for gender focal persons (GFPs) and GE trainers of the 15 Philippine co-op partners of the Project. The workshop was held per region (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao), and the participants in the first workshop were the ones who decided on the dates of the next workshop. Thus from January to February 2011, AWCF conducted the second capacity-building workshop for GFPs and GE trainers of the 15 co-ops.

The workshop for Luzon co-ops was held January 17-21 in Hotel Supreme, Baguio City; for Mindanao co-ops on January 24-28 in Hostel MASS-SPECC, Cagayan de Oro City; and for Visayas co-ops on February 23-27 in WRegent Plaza Hotel, Tagbilaran City.

The workshop series had a total of 83 GE trainers and GFPs participants: 28 from Luzon—15 male (53.57%) and 13 female (46.43%); 28 from Visayas—9 male (32.14%) and 19 female (67.86%); and 27 from Mindanao—8 male (29.63%) and 19 female (70.37%). Among the GE role models invited to the workshop were Ms Norma Pereyras from Tagum Cooperative and Ms Emma Nieva from MSU-IIT Multipurpose Cooperative.

Workshop sessions

Inputs on “Adult Learning,” “Learning Methodologies,” “How to Become a Good Trainer,” and “Planning and Designing a Training Program” were given by Ms Merlene Flores, an AWCF consultant.

The session on storytelling, handled by Ms Salome Ganibe, emphasized this method as an advocacy and training tool whereby participants were trained on live storytelling, the use of gestures and facial expressions, and intonation. They were also taught to write and develop stories that they later presented to the other participants in a plenary.

The session on audio-visual presentation (AVP) production using the Photostory 3 software was led by Ms Evelyn Villaflor for Luzon group, Ms Annalyn Salvaleon for the Mindanao group, and Ms Maria Theresa Saliendra for the Visayas group. The participants were asked to produce a two-to-three minute AVPs on the different gender issues of marginalization, stereotyping, violence, subordination, and multiple burden. Their AVPs were viewed in a session afterwards, and the participants critiqued their fellow participants’ outputs, together with the resource persons. It was agreed on that the AVPs will be further enhanced, and a compilation of the different outputs will be done for use of the GE trainers in the 15 co-ops.

More workshop outputs

The participants also drafted their co-ops’ training program for 2011 and their training designs. The outputs were actually improved versions of the training designs they had developed in their first capacity-building workshop.

In the training designs, the participants inputted their planned sessions, including the activities, concepts to be discussed, the duration of the sessions, among other components. They were asked to demonstrate particular sessions during the workshop, and fellow participants and the resource persons likewise critiqued the sessions for further improvement.

AWCF also introduced to the participants the use of the perception meter and the freedom wall. The perception meter was a table or chart of different emotions that the participants were to put a check mark on, depending on what they felt on a particular day of the workshop. The freedom wall encouraged participants to write whatever they wanted to, as related to the workshop.

A study tour on the workshop’s last day brought the participants to organic farms, o-ops, fair trade and organic product shops where they were learned about co-ops’ good practices. Talks were also given to them by the co-op leaders and managers of the visited shops.

The AWCF capacity-building workshop was managed by Ms Angelita Valdez, supported by Mr. Ranie Catimbang and other AWCF staff.

AWCF starts gender equality project with SCC

AWCF has officially launched the three-year Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC)-funded “Promoting Gender Equality (GE) Among Co-operatives in the Philippines” Project with three recent orientation meetings in 2010 attended by key leaders and managers of the 15 participating Philippine co-op organizations.The main objective of the meetings was to introduce this Project, which would involve strategic interventions related to four components: human resource capacity-building; strengthening of plans, systems, and structures; research and policy advocacy; and capacity-building on project planning, monitoring, and evaluation. At the meetings, AWCF was able to obtain from the stakeholders their commitment to implement the Project with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Also discussed at the meetings were the GE Survey required from the co-ops and the June-September 2010 schedules for the gender-sensitivity training for leaders and staff to be conducted in each of the organizations.

The first orientation meeting was held in Davao City, Philippines, April 8, which was attended by the Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) Multipurpose Coop; Paglaum Multipurpose Co-op; Panabo Multipurpose Co-op; Pantukan Chess Club Co-op; and Tagum Co-op.The second orientation meeting was in Cebu City, April 20, attended by the Bosconian Multipurpose Co-op; Cordova Multipurpose Co-op; Dumanjug Multipurpose Co-op; Lamac Multipurpose Co-op; and Metro Ormoc Community Co-op. The third orientation meeting was in Quezon City on April 22, with attendees from Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multipurpose Co-op; Ligas Kilusang Bayan sa Pagpapaunlad; Nueva Segovia Consortium of Co-ops; St. Martin of Tours Credit and Development Co-op; and Sacred Heart Credit Development Co-op.

The GE Project is part of SCC’s country programme for 2010-2012, which is the “Advancing Civic Capacities for Effective and Sustainable Services to the Poor (ACCESS to the Poor)" Programme with funding support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

http://coopwomen.org/awcfcms/index.php/resources/news-archives/293-awcf-scc-gender-equality-project-started-

AWCF holds planning for FK Exchange’s next round

Since 2008, AWCF has been implementing among staff of its member-organizations an exchange activity, done through the “Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia” Project funded by the “South-South Exchange Programme” of Fredskorpset (FK) Norway. The exchange will have its third round on October 2010 to August 2011. On June 1-3, 2010 at the NATCCO Bldg. in the Philippines, AWCF held the planning meeting for the exchange’s third round. AWCF’s member-organizations, who are the partners for this Project, participated in the meeting. FK Norway is a Norwegian government agency that promotes international understanding and mutual learning through institutional co-operation and exchange of people between Norway and countries in the South.

Through overseas posting of the AWCF member-organizations’ staff in the host-members, the Project seeks to strengthen solidarity and collaboration between and among the AWCF members; enhance members’ capacity in service delivery; and harness young professionals (the exchange staff) in acquiring expertise on gender mainstreaming, co-op services (financial intermediation and micro-finance), sustainable agriculture (marketing and agricultural extension), co-op and credit union development, training and education, and information technology (IT) for development.

At the planning meeting this June, updates about the exchange staff that they were currently hosting for the second round were given by AWCF members Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), Credit Union Promotion Club (CUPC), Forum for Indonesian Co-operatives Movement (FORMASI Indonesia), National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), and Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC). A discussion was led by AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe to assess the member-organizations’ needs and objectives for the third round of exchange. FK Asia Program Officer Ms Saowanee Sangsawangsri guided the organizations in making their objectives consistent with the Project’s over-all goals and implementing guidelines as well as in producing the budget and other project documents.

Seven exchange staff will take part in the third round, with three participants coming from AWCF/NATCCO, two from CULT, one from CUPC, and one from FORMASI Indonesia. CAEV and SEDOC will not send out staff but will take part as host-organizations. The fourth round of the exchange will have its planning meeting in May 2011, which will also take up the midterm review of the third round.

Different needs

As expressed in the June planning meeting, the following are the AWCF member-organizations’ needs and objectives for the third round of the exchange:

• CAEV: need for documentation of case studies in agricultural extension models; and project development and management
• CULT: need to learn about branching, business development in terms of co-operative enterprise, and international and public relations to showcase its programs to foreign visitors
• CUPC: need to focus on the operationalization of its newly established Management Information System, particularly its application, monitoring and evaluation, and troubleshooting.
• FORMASI Indonesia: need to enhance capacity of FORMASI Indonesia and its members in the development of business development and fund-raising activities through project development for agri-based enterprises.
• SEDOC: need to learn about CU promotion at it intends to establish itself as a credit union league in Cambodia
• AWCF/NATCCO: need to continue to developing themselves as a resource center in gender equality and co-op development. NATCCO, specifically, wants to learn about microfinance and microenterprise development in agriculture in the third round.