Upholding their commitment to promote gender equality and diversity, and to advance women’s rights in the small-scale mining (SSM) communities, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in partnership with planetGOLD Philippines, through the Philippine Commission for Women (PCW) held a training on Mainstreaming Gender in Small-Scale Mining on May 27, 2022, at Prime Suite Hotel, Daet Camarines Norte.
A total of 40 representatives from local government, non-government groups, and the SSM community underwent the workshop activity with the PCW National Gender and Development (GAD) Resource Pool Donald James Gawe who discussed gender equality, gender concepts, and gender mainstreaming. He further elaborated on the role of GAD in developmental initiatives in promoting social, environmental, and economic changes. While MGB Regional Office No. V Engr. Yancey Seve Guinto shared a brief introduction to SSM in the province of Camarines Norte.
The workshop is intended to educate the participants on the basic concepts of gender issues related to SSM. It also tackled existing GAD policies, GAD budgeting process, and gender analysis tools in SSM. These measures are vital to empower men and women in the active participation, formulation, implementation, and evaluation of GAD policies. The workshop also aims to integrate gender issues of SSM into the GAD plan and budget of respective agencies.
“It is important that we create a venue for the sector’s stakeholders as it opens an opportunity for miners and the government to have a meaningful dialogue on gender issues and challenges first-hand. The planetGOLD Philippines is committed to bring sustainable development in the sector as we continue working with the private sector, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders to build inclusive, resilient, and empowered SSM communities, and we cannot do that without uplifting the lives and rights of women" planetGOLD Philippines National Gender Specialist Jacklyn Belo-Enricoso noted.
After all of the presentations, gender leads, and technical staff on SSM from key government offices in regional, provincial, and municipal together with SSM communities were able to come up with a gender action plan for SSM as their commitment to advocate for gender equality in the community. It aims to improve the current initiatives of the government in achieving a gender-transformative SSM community.
The workshop is part of the gender-inclusivity series conducted in the Project’s sites in order to strengthen the efforts of making small-scale mining a gender-inclusive sector.
By: The Mining Technology Division
Participants during PCW National Gender and Development (GAD) Resource Pool Donald James Gawe's lecture.
Participants gather for a photo after the event.