BAGUIO CITY – – Women empowerment is progressing in the Cordillera with women having a fair share of the region’s labor force and leading the men in entrepreneurship.
Based on the 2019 data of the Philippine Statistics Authority shared during the March 10 kapihan forum, 47.6 percent of women ages 15 and above are already part of the region’s labor force.
There were also more women (than men) managers and professionals, as well those into clerical, services and sales work.
For government agencies in the Cordillera alone, 36 out of 68 or 52.9 percent of regional heads are women, according to the Cordillera Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Situationer prepared by the Regional Gender and Development Committee of the Regional Development Council.
In terms of entrepreneurship, Department of Trade and Industry – Cordillera (DTI – CAR) Regional Director Myrna Pablo affirmed that majority of the region’s entrepreneurs are women.
There are around 56,000 active women entrepreneurs in Cordillera, which is around 69 percent of the 80,828 entrepreneurs being assisted by DTI – CAR. Even the Youth Entrepreneurship program has more young women who are venturing into businesses than men, Pablo shared.
The RDC RGADC report also shared statistics on education, women’s health and well being, and violence against women.
Aside from sharing quick statistics, other panelists in the forum included Dept. of Interior and Local Government OIC Regional Director Araceli San Jose, Atty. Jennilyn Dawayen of the Dept. of Agriculture, Dr. Shelly Aral of the Dept. of Health and RGADC Co – chairperson, Private Sector Representative Ferdinand Gonzalez of People Organization for Social Transformation who shared their respective agency’s programs for women empowerment and development.
The RDC RGADC- led Kapihan media forum was in line with the observance of Women’s Month with the theme, “We Make Change for Women: Juana Laban sa Pandemya, Kaya”. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR