The Supreme Court (SC) has trained more than 1,000 judges, clerks of court, legal researchers, stenographers, and other judiciary personnel nationwide through its Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) program, reinforcing efforts to promote gender responsiveness and inclusivity in the courts.

The latest training, conducted from 6 to 9 July in Bacolod City, gathered more than 300 participants and marked the seventh leg of the nationwide program.

Organized by the Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary and the Philippine Judicial Academy, the training forms part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027, which aims to strengthen integrity, accountability, and inclusivity across the judiciary.

Since its pilot rollout in 2025, the GST has also been conducted in General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Legazpi, Panglao, and Subic.

The program covered gender concepts, anti-sexual harassment laws, the Safe Spaces Act, gender-fair language, courtroom etiquette, and the proper handling of gender-related cases. It also included workshops designed to promote gender-sensitive practices in courts and judicial offices.

Opening the Bacolod training, Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, co-chairperson of the Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary, said the initiative reflects the Court's commitment to judicial reforms anchored on integrity, accountability, and inclusivity.

"Through this initiative, we are empowering ourselves—from judges to every member of our staff—to recognize gender-based issues and confront unconscious biases," Inting said.

He added that the program goes beyond policy reforms and reaffirms the judiciary's duty to ensure that justice is not only administered but genuinely experienced by the public.

Meanwhile, Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Jean Marie A. Bacorro-Villena said the training seeks to equip court personnel to apply gender-sensitive practices in their courtrooms, offices, and daily interactions.

"Equal and inclusive justice means ensuring that every person who enters our courts is treated with dignity, respect, and impartiality, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or personal circumstances," Bacorro-Villena said.