Day 1 and Day 2 of AWCF's trainers' training on gender for co-ops

Ongoing: The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF)'s "Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender in Co-operatives" started September 2, 2014 to last until September 5, 2014. It is being held in one of the hotels in suburban Quezon City in the Philippines, where 33 participants (27 females and 3 males) are taking part. The participants comes from primary and federation co-ops, local government units, and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) of the Philippine government. 

Gender equality is one of the perceived ways of further developing co-ops, particularly in the Philippines where the CDA issued a memorandum circular to all registered co-ops in the country to promote and engage in gender mainstreaming. 

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). 

Attention Philippine co-ops!

Philippine co-operatives, join this first-ever and important National Summit. Experience why gender and development/gender equality is good for co-op growth and the empowerment of women and men members. Download the Summit brochure/invitation now!

Philippine co-ops hold summit on gender and development

The Philippines's “National Summit on Gender and Development (GAD) in Co-ops,” themed "Inspiring Change for Women and Men in Co-ops,” will happen on March 25-26, 2014, Subic Bay, PH. 

This is the first time that the country's co-ops will hold a summit to tackle gender GAD. Participants in the Summit will get informed of GAD's important role in co-op growth and development, and how co-ops can meet the requirements of the memorandum circular on GAD mainstreaming in co-ops. The memorandum circular was issued in November 2013 by the PH government's Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). 

The national GAD Summit is being organized by the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) at CDA. Get more details from coopwomen.org and cda.gov.ph, or send an e-mail to gadsummit@coopwomen.org 

The Summit brochure/invitation is available here

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

Philippines holds national summit on gender and development in co-ops

Announcing: The National Summit on Gender and Development (GAD) in Co-ops, themed Inspiring Change for Women and Men in Co-ops
WHEN: March 25-26, 2014
WHERE: Subic Bay Travelers Hotel and Event Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines.
This National Summit for Philippine co-operatives is the first of its kind to be held in the country.  

http://coopwomen.org/downloads/summitbroch21k_upload_final.pdf (downloadable Summit brochure/invitation)

•    Summit Participants: Co-operators who want to enable change and make change work for the continuous development of Philippine co-operatives—Board of Directors; General Managers/Chief Executive Officers; Gender Focal Persons; Human Resource Officers; and Education Committee members.
 
•    Summit Organizers: Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA)
AWCF (www.coopwomen.org) is a resource center and advocacy body on gender and co-op development. Since 1990, AWCF’s activities in the Philippines and five other Asian countries have aimed at helping support co-operative growth through the advocacy and practice of GE in co-ops. 

CDA (www.cda.gov.ph) is the lead Philippine government agency tasked for co-op development. As a government body, it is mandated to practice gender equality (GE) tenets and, furthermore, it actually believes that GE is good for co-ops’ growth. With this belief, CDA actively implements activities to help bring GE to the consciousness, operations, and systems of co-ops.

•    Summit Objectives:
To let the participants—
1)    Know the importance of gender and development (GAD) that leads to the integration of GE in co-ops and, ultimately, to greater co-op growth and development—economically and socially.
2)    Know how co-ops can comply with the requirements of Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22, pertaining to “Guidelines on Mainstreaming GAD in Cooperatives.” On November 18, 2013, CDA issued MC 2013-22 that aims at disseminating to the co-op sector the GAD mandate of the Philippine government so as to ensure the promotion of GE and the institutionalization of GAD in policies, programs, and other activities in co-ops.
3)    Be inspired by the sharing in the Summit by key organizations and resource persons, and join other co-ops in helping other co-ops nationwide in becoming even better and stronger co-ops.

•    The holding of the National Summit on GAD in Co-ops comes at an opportune time:
The Summit comes on the heels of CDA’s issuance of MC 2013-22 (Guidelines on Mainstreaming GAD in Cooperatives). The MC is a solid action of CDA for its GAD mandate as a government agency, aside from its already ongoing GAD activities in its Central and regional offices. The MC is also CDA’s positive response to a Call for Action issued in December 2012 to CDA by gender-fair Philippine co-operatives.
These gender-fair co-ops had urged CDA to support GE mainstreaming and integration in the co-ops to bring about even greater economic and social benefits to the movement. Setting themselves as examples, these gender-fair co-ops had put forward that co-ops practicing GE—
1) recognize that women and men have equal rights, benefits, opportunities for advancement, services, and access to and control over resources; and have equal roles to play in development as participants and as leaders; and
2) know GE’s important contribution in enabling co-ops to perform their dual economic and social role in development.
Gender-fair co-ops are gender-fair workplaces. Gender-fair co-ops enjoy even more economic and social benefits that GE brings forth to co-ops and their members.

The Summit is also being held during the celebration of “Women’s Month.”

For inquiries on the GAD National Summit, please contact (mobile) 0917-8436390 (Globe) or 0922-4685546 (Sun); (landline) (02) 438-7666 (Philippines).
Interested Philippine co-ops, hurry and register now! The two-page National Summit brochure/invitation is available for downloading and printing on the link below.

Click here to download the "National Summit on GAD in Co-ops" brochure/invitation

CDA and AWCF establish partnership for gender-fair, progressive Philippine co-ops

CDA and AWCF representatives on hand to witness the signing of the organizations' partnership agreement.

CDA Chairperson E. Santiaguel and AWCF Executive Director S. Ganibe lead their organizations in signing their partnership agreement for gender equality advocacy in Philippine co-ops. Looking on is CDA Board of Administrators member Ms M. Castillo.

The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) of the Philippine government and the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) had forged a  Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) beginning mid-2013 for their partnership in gender and development (GAD) efforts in Philippine co-ops. AWCF is an Asian resource center and advocacy body on gender and co-op development, with its Secretariat based in the Philippines.

The MOA was recently signed by CDA Chairperson Mr. Emmanuel Santiaguel and AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe at the CDA Central Office in Quezon City, Philippines. Ms Mercedes Castillo, one of CDA’s Board of Administrators (BOA), and other CDA and AWCF representatives witnessed the signing.

The MOA between CDA and AWCF is expected to boost the two agencies’ thrusts in promoting and institutionalizing GAD that will lead to having gender-fair co-operatives.

CDA and gender equality
Republic Act (RA) 6939 of the Philippines tasks CDA to formulate, adopt, and implement integrated and comprehensive plans and programs on co-op development, consistent with the national policy on co-ops and the overall socio-economic development plans of the country. CDA is also mandated to promote the viability and growth of co-ops as instruments of equity, social justice, and sustainable economic development.

As a government agency, CDA is duty-bound to implement Executive Order (EO) 273, which pertains to the “Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development.” CDA has been actively implementing activities to help bring GAD and gender equality (GE) to the consciousness, operations, and systems of co-ops. CDA already has formed the Gender Focal System—which is required of government agencies—in its central and regional offices. CDA also set up in August 2013 a technical working group (TWG) (which began CDA’s working relationship with AWCF because the latter was made a member of the TWG) to help the agency in implementing its GAD thrusts and attaining its GAD objectives through the development of policies/programs/projects/activities. Sitting in the TWG are a member of the CDA’s BOA, representatives of the different divisions in the CDA central office, and partner-organizations.

Going a step further, CDA has issued a policy pronouncement as another one of its concrete actions toward actualizing its belief that GAD and GE are good for co-operatives’ socio-economic growth. In November 2013, CDA issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 2013-22 entitled “Guidelines on Mainstreaming Gender and Development (GAD) in Cooperatives.” The MC seeks to ensure the promotion of GE and institutionalization of GAD in the policies/programs/projects/activities of co-ops. With this MC, CDA thus becomes the first co-op development agency among ASEAN countries to issue such a policy for the promotion of GAD in co-ops in its own country.

Partnership thrusts
The partnership between CDA and AWCF, as stipulated in their MOA, will lead to close co-operation and assistance between the two agencies in the aspects of policies, plans, programs/projects/activities and other areas in relation to institutionalizing GAD in co-ops’ structure. The sharing of resources, expertise, and skills between the two agencies is expected to further strengthen development and sustainability of the Philippine co-op movement.
 
AWCF as partner
Since 1990, AWCF has been working on helping co-ops pursue the gender agenda. AWCF has been advocating co-ops to be aware of and to act on gender issues in their organizations, based on the conviction that awareness and action will lead to even greater socio-economic development for co-ops.

AWCF has been implementing gender-related projects in co-ops, in partnership with its members and partner-agencies in its member-countries, which are Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. AWCF implemented a project in 2010-2012 that promoted GE in Philippine co-ops. In December 2012, during a public awareness conference held in Quezon City for this GE project’s culmination, the project’s participating primary and federation co-ops issued a “Call for Action” to CDA to promote and advocate GE in co-ops (through policies and systems). The call was made for CDA to promote GE so that more co-operatives can become gender-fair and gender-sensitive, and thus benefit from the resulting socio-economic benefits.

After the co-ops’ submission to CDA of that call for action (through then CDA Executive Director Mr. Niel Santillan who was a guest in the public awareness conference) and later submitted by AWCF to the CDA Chairperson, CDA and AWCF had several meetings. They discussed how to work through the recommended actions contained in the co-ops’ call for GE. AWCF also later became a member of the TWG mentioned earlier. CDA’s main and first response to the co-ops’ Call for Action was its issuance of MC 2013-22.

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.

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-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

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.

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

A Primer: The Gender Equality Resource Center for Philippine Co-ops

What is gender equality? What is the gender equality resource center (GERC) and how can it help a co-op strengthen even more its implementation of gender-related activities that can benefit its own organization? How can other organizations tap the co-op's gender expertise through the GERC?

The Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF)'s new publication "A Primer: The Gender Equality Resource Center for Philippine Co-ops" gives the reader the basics on the setting up and operation of gender equality resource centers (GERCs). The GERCs will greatly help ensure that gender equality (GE) is mainstreamed and embedded in co-operatives. The setting up of GERCs in co-ops was among the thrusts of a GE project in the Philippines that the AWCF implemented in 2010-2012, with support from the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC). Fifteen progressive primary- and federation-level co-ops from all over the country took part in that project. Co-ops are viable business enterprises with social goals that reach out even to the remotest areas and to people of the simplest means who are building their future together through co-operation. GERCs will equip co-ops with even more structure and focus, through advocating and promoting GE, in improving the lives of the women and men members and all others involved in the co-ops.

Going beyond the 15 co-ops involved in its GE project in the Philippines, AWCF is urging any and all co-ops in the country to establish GERCs or, at least, to strengthen their gender-related services. Data and experiences show that GE advocacy, capacities, and practices of and by co-ops help them to contribute even more to the development of the members and communities that, as a whole, assists in nation-building. Inputs from AWCF's consultations with the co-ops involved in its Philippines GE project enrich the contents of this GERC Primer. The co-ops involved in the Project, as strong and committed GE advocates, help strengthen and animate the country’s co-op movement with their various gender-related activities and advocacies that benefit their own organizations as well as other groups that are increasingly utilizing their GE services and expertise. These co-ops are also in the various stages of setting up and operating their own GERCs.

For more information on the Primer and on gender equality in co-ops, please e-mail awcf@coopwomen.org