BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said women from the upland provinces of the country are generally considered as empowered, most of them able to provide for themselves and knowing how to seek protection when abused.
“Many of the women in the Cordillera are highly empowered with at least 3 out of 10 earning more than their husbands and 90 percent of our women knows how and where to seek help when abused,” said Maria Aplaten, DSWD-CAR regional director and chairperson of the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) of the Regional Development Center, in an interview on Wednesday.
She said that in her agency alone, more women are leading the different offices, and around 80 percent of their workers are women.
She added that record shows more women are getting care and security, and know where to access these.
Glenda Dacanay, Family Planning and Safe Motherhood Program coordinator of the Department of Health-Cordillera, said in an earlier forum said that with more women having an awareness of government’s health programs allows the improvement of service utilization and health outcomes for females.
This improves the condition of the women, ensuring their safety and maternal health.
Dacanay revealed that DOH-CAR record shows that 91.9 percent of the women in the region have power to decide on issues pertaining to their healthcare, major household purchases and visits to other family members and relatives.
Mainstreaming women issues
Aplaten said the celebration of Women’s Month this March is focused on equality for both women and the men.
“We do not opt to overpower the men but to least be treated as co-equal in all aspects of life , work and and family relationships,” she said.
She also said they are continuously inviting men to join the Movement of Men Opposed to Violence against Women (and their children) Everywhere (MOVE).
“The more men join the groups, the more unlikely they will commit abuses against the women because they are continuously provided with training on equality and protection of the women,” Aplaten said.
Aside from the government agencies forming the MOVE, the local government units are also encouraged to participate and allow both women and the men work together for the betterment of the communities. **Liza Agoot
