Albay strengthens viability of women-led enterprises
Legazpi City, Albay Province — Strengthening the viability of existing and planned women-led enterprises, the Albay Gender and Development (GAD) Office held a two-day training workshop on Gender Responsive-Value Chain Analysis (GR-VCA) for women microentrepreneurs last August 2014 in Legazpi City.
The Albay Gender and Development (GAD) Office coordinated with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and AECID Magna Carta of Women for the training roll-out. They gathered participants consisting of women, non-government organizations, representatives from local government units and members of Provincial Government of Albay-GAD Focal Point System.
The GR-VCA training shared the identified value-added processes, actors, enablers, and the gender issues within the value-chains of women-led enterprises, and facilitated strategy development and planning in addressing the gender issues and concerns within specific value chains. Sieglinde Bulaong, a member of the Cardoner Team, a Naga-based organization, was the resource person and trainer for GR-VCA.
“Trainings like these help integrate the strengths and capabilities of women in developing micro-businesses. There are higher chances of success when women’s entrepreneurial skills are strengthened from business conceptualization until production,” Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Macario Pavia said.
Pavia also echoed Albay Governor Joey Salceda’s call to give special attention to the needs of the province’s womenfolk, showing the Provincial Government of Albay’s commitment to promote gender equality. Women economic empowerment ranks among the priority goals of the province’s economic development thrusts.
Albay Province is a local project site of the Philippine Commission on Women-AECID Magna Carta of Women Project. The AECID MCW Project extends capacity development, technical and funding support to pilot LGUs that will craft and implement gender-responsive policies, plans, programs and activities for women’s economic empowerment and women’s social rights.
In a related development, Albay Province appropriately revised its Gender and Development (GAD) Code to integrate women’s human rights and women’s economic empowerment, in line with localizing provisions of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710).
