MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, May 12 (PIA) --- Amidst various issues confronting gender equality, the campaign on the promotion of women participation in the public realm continue to move forward here in the province.
Lilia Perez, national program coordinator of Paz Y Desarrollo (PyD), said during the seminar on media and gender equality held recently here that seven barangays in Balindong town and another seven in Marawi City are currently benefiting from the implementation of PyD’s regional program to promote gender equality in political participation.
Anchored on a communication campaign dubbed “Female Forward” with taglines “Stand up, Step up, Speak up,” the program which started in 2010 was designed to accelerate women’s equal leadership and participation in the political and public life of the community where they belong.
Perez said the first year of the program focused more on the establishment of a baseline and conduct of various researches regarding the situation in identified areas.
“Right now, we have many networks of gender pools established in the communities. We have also identified gender advocates in the universities and even in student organizations,” she said.
According to her, the program was able to raise awareness on gender issues in the identified 14 barangays in the province through series of trainings on leadership and negotiation skills to capacitate women to be active citizen of the communities.
These barangays were Banggolo, Dulay West, Dulay Proper, Papandayan Caniogan, Sugod, South Madaya, and Moncado Kadingilan in Marawi City. In Balindong, we have Bubong Cadapaan, Poblacion Cadapaan, Cadayonan, Lilod, Paigo-ay, Lombayao, and Poblacion Balindong, she added.
Meanwhile, the seminar on media and gender equality held at the Mamitua Saber Research and Training Center in Mindanao State University main campus on May 8 was attended by several media practitioners in the province.
PyD conducted the seminar because they believe that media can help in raising public awareness on gender issues, Perez said.
She said that three groups played an important role in development projects, the rights holders, duty bearers and moral bearers which include the academe, non-government organizations (NGOs), and media among others.
We need to collaborate with these sectors to have a better impact and wider dissemination of information, she added.
PyD is an NGO founded in Spain in 1991. It has been working with civil society, governments, and educational institutions from various nations in carrying out programs and projects that seek to promote equality and social justice as a means to achieve social change.
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