As part of the National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC) this March, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) held a two-day online and face-to-face forum on women empowerment at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium in Quezon City from 19 to 20 March.

The “#HerSpace is a Safe Place” forum aims to advocate and promote a fair, safe, inclusive, and gender-sensitive working environment in the Central Office, and all DSWD Field Offices.

It was spearheaded by the Department's Human Resource Management and Development Service (HRMDS), in coordination with the Gender and Development Focal Point System Technical Working Group (GAD-FPS TWG).

“The activity is a testament of the continuing support of the DSWD to address the gender and development mainstreaming in our organization, and to further strengthen the lead role of the DSWD in the implementation of social protection policy of the national government – which also covers the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged sectors of our society, and one particular sector, are the women and children of our country,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Policy and Plans Rodolfo M. Santos said.

“Let us ensure that we learn everything about the issues and concerns of our women, so that together, we can work on improving enabling policies, developing programs and services that will truly promote the welfare and rights of our women and children in our society, especially those that are most vulnerable and marginalized,” said Santos, who is also the chairperson of the GAD-FPS TWG.

Meanwhile, Ms. Josephine Gabriel-Banaag, a certified member of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) National GAD Resource Pool (NGRP), discussed the power of women in the workplace, and how women in the modern world can break the barriers that limit their full participation in society.

This year’s NWMC banners the sub-theme, “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!”

The DSWD said it is committed to continue creating more platforms to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all Filipino women.