Gender-responsive budgeting practices have paved the way for more inclusive programs and services in the City of General Trias, Cavite.
Ann Ferrer, head of the General Trias City Women’s Development Council and founding chairperson of the Cavite Council of Women, highlighted the role of local government units in creating programs to address women’s issues such as health services and economic opportunities.
“It became my priority to focus on women’s [welfare] because, as a woman and a wife, I am aware of their concerns. Part of our advocacy in working on behalf of our spouses is helping our kababayans and forwarding their concerns to the local government,” Ferrer shared.
According to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), empowering women and girls to participate in policymaking and decision-making provides an avenue for women’s groups and civil society actors to participate in governance and perform gender-responsive budgeting and monitoring the outcomes of such budgets.
Since its establishment in 2011, the Cavite Council of Women has become a platform for women to deliver gender-responsive government programs, ranging from livelihood training to health caravans.
Its primary goal is to provide health services for women in the province’s eight cities and 16 municipalities, providing their expertise in advising local government units in utilizing their funds for creating gender-responsive programs and services.
The Cavite Council of Women also launched the Buntis Congress in General Trias City, which provides health check-ups to expectant mothers with no financial capacity to seek pre-natal consultations.
“Most of them are young girls who are not yet ready to become mothers. So we give them seminars and free health services, like ultrasound and free medicines and vitamins for the mommies.”
Through the Council, Caviteño women are lobbying for the provincial government to allocate funds for gender-responsive livelihood programs.
The Women’s Budget, a Gender and Development (GAD) policy introduced through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) in 1995, aimed to support gender-focused programs and projects by directing government agencies and local government units to allocate a minimum of five percent (5%) of its annual budget for GAD programs, projects, and activities.
“We get our allocation as part of the Gender and Development [fund]. Not all five percent, but we are included. When our proposed projects which are part of the Programs, Projects, and Activities under the GAD fund are approved by the city government, we can create more programs for women.”
A homemaker herself, Ferrer understood women’s dedication to becoming nurturing mothers and wives for their families.
“We do so much that we neglect ourselves. We come last in our own priorities that we neglect ourselves because we want to provide everything to our family, to our husband. Those are our priorities as women.”
As the basic unit of governance, the Women’s Development Council mobilized the barangays to extend their services to the grassroots communities by designating coordinators for each barangay to represent their communities in meetings and discussions on the city’s much-needed GAD programs.
“We also conduct monthly meetings to discuss the projects we can share with our neighbors [cities and municipalities] that they can replicate. Those that brought positive changes in their municipalities can be replicated in other areas.”
Local government units are instrumental in providing women with access to economic opportunities, regardless if they are careerwomen or homemakers. With ample legislation and support from civil society groups, women can make their voices heard, opening doors to opportunities and services they need. (PB/RBF/PIA4A)
