Aklan RGADC sponsors study visit of women entrepreneurs

Iloilo Province–Aklanon women microentrepreneurs with women survivors of violence from Aklan, participated in a study visit to Oton and Pavia, Iloilo, sponsored by the Regional Gender Resource Center (RGADC) of Western Visayas for the 2013 celebration of the 18- Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Children. The study visit sought to inspire women on how women’s economic empowerment was realized among Philippine Commission on Women-GREAT Women Project beneficiaries.

Women entrepreneurs from Iloilo related how their lives changed because of the local government partnership with the GREAT Women Project. From lacking skills in enterprise development, Iloilo women entrepreneurs shared how they now have market-ready and export-quality products and growing businesses, owing to the capacity development and technical assistance by said partnership. Related to this, Aklanon women microentrepreneurs have learned from testimonials, because they too have products that could benefit from similar upscaling interventions cited in the study visit.

Local officials cited both the AECID MCW Project and the GREAT Women Project as development projects that “mirror the vision of Aklan and Iloilo provinces of having a gender-responsive community, where men and women equally participate and equitably share the development resources, opportunities and benefits provided by society.” The Province of Aklan, including the municipalities of Kalibo and Malinao, are local partners the PCW-AECID Magna Carta of Women Project. Aklan Province receives capacity development, technical and funding support to craft and implement gender-responsive policies, plans, programs and activities for women’s economic empowerment and women’s social rights.