The Philippines Embassy observed the “International Women’s Day” recently by conducting a lecture on Gender and Development (GAD). It also conducted a lecture on the Magna Carta of Women (MCW).

Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago stressed the importance of gender sensitivity and consciousness on gender issues for the effective performance of work, particularly in providing assistance and other services when dealing with Filipinos and the public.

“The lecture was attended by all personnel of the embassy and attached services and their spouses,” the embassy said in a statement.

The Filipino envoy also outlined a few points that relate to gender and development in the Philippines and the vital role of both genders in national development.

Tago said that the lecture was the start of other initiatives on gender sensitivity which would also be conducted among the Filipino community and Philippine curriculum schools in the Kingdom.

Social Service Attache Nilda S. Oliva of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave a lecture on the salient features of Republic Act No. 9710 (also known as Magna Carta of Women), which is a comprehensive law on human rights that seeks to eliminate discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting and fulfilling the rights of Filipino women, specially those in marginalized sectors.

Lilian Adiong, the embassy’s focal person for Gender and Development, provided the basic concepts of gender sensitivity. The program was one of a series of understanding and consciousness projects on gender issues among embassy officers and staff to make them gender sensitive in performing their mandate, particularly in providing services and assistance to Filipinos in the Kingdom.