GAD Focal Persons Set Convergence Meeting
Iloilo–GAD focal persons of Iloilo and partner municipalities of Anilao and Oton held a core group meeting in 2014 to set strategic approaches in the development and implementation of convergence models for women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and violence against women (VAW).
These partners are bent on creating a convergence plus model, wherein WEE opportunities are extended to both entrepreneurial women and women survivors of violence. The core group meeting determined formal partnership dynamics and the Municipality-Province support system supporting the convergence plus models for WEE and VAW. In November, the core group meeting was followed by convergence planning sessions and workshops with team partners for women’s economic empowerment and for the support services of VAW victim survivors such as women and children protection units (WCPU).
The convergence model at the provincial level is a formalized partnership of 20 national government agencies, academe and civil society organizations, each performing specific roles in women and child protection, and WEE.
At the municipal level, the focus of the convergence model in Anilao is for enterprise development of women’s livelihoods based on upcycled paper by-products, green charcoal briquettes and squash flour. Meanwhile, the focus of the convergence model in Oton is a convergence of coordinated VAW-related services among the Philippine National Police, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and the Department of Health.
Initial commitments were generated on the enrolment of women microentrepreneurs for social security, and the proposal and grant processing for WMEs producing squash flour and charcoal briquettes.
Iloilo Province and the municipalities of Anilao and Oton, are partners of the Philippine Commission on Women-AECID Magna Carta of Women (MCW) Project. The AECID MCW Project extends capacity development, technical and funding support to pilot local government units that will craft and implement gender-responsive policies, plans, programs and activities for women’s economic empowerment and women’s social rights.
