Leyte LGU participants in GREAT Women Project-sponsored Gender Sensitivity Training

Two Leyte municipalities serving as partner sites of the Gender-Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) Project have stepped up efforts to address gender issues affecting local women, especially women entrepreneurs.

Local officials, legislators, women entrepreneurs and representatives of women’s organizations of Capoocan and Tanauan. Leyte have participated in a gender sensitivity training sponsored by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women-GREAT Women Project held on August 18-20 in Bayawan City and August 26 in Boracay Island.

The gender sensitivity training, or GST++ is aimed at developing the skills of local government officials in analyzing gender issues and providing comprehensive orientations on local economic development (LED), women economic empowerment (WEE) and basic gender concepts. The training, which is being made available in all GREAT Women Project partner sites in eight (8) provinces and 36 pilot municipalities nationwide, is part of Project-sponsored capacity-building measures on women’s economic empowerment.

With the training, LGUs have developed a roadmap in integrating LED and WEE interventions in the local policies, programs, and services. They have also conducted an analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to their local economic and women economic empowerment programs. 

Facilitating the GST++ sessions were Professor Imelda D. Abenio of Eastern Visayas State University and Marilou Parina, a former Gender volunteer adviser of a volunteer service organization in Papua New Guinea. GREAT Women Focal Persons Doloris Cumpio of Capoocan and Marina Toliba of Tanauan coordinated the training with the Leyte’s Project Local Area Coordinator Henry Abawag.