MATI City -Forty-five couples from the municipalities of Tarragona, Manay, and Caraga in Davao Oriental participated in a recent Gender Dialogue conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) through its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

The one-day activity provided the participants with the basic input on Sex and Gender and Manifestations of Gender Biases in the Gender and Development (GAD) perspective.

For the couples to better understand the topic discussed, an audio-visual presentation entitled “Impossible Dream” which depicts different manifestations of gender biases in the household and the community was shown.

Moreover, a Focus Group Discussion was conducted to generate experiences and issues along gender outcomes as to personal, family and community following engagement with the Pantawid Pamilya program.

An assessment tool was utilized as well to determine whether the Pantawid Pamilya implementation ushered women empowerment and gender equality at the household level.

“Malipayon kaayo mi nga nakaapil ani nga panagtigom. Mas nasabtan namo kung unsa kaning ginatawag nga Gender and Development ug unsa amoang partisipasyon niini. Diri pud nako first time nga nadunggan ang mga pamatasan nga na-angayan ug wala na-angayan sa akoa sa akong bana. Mas nasabtan namo karon ang importansya sa kanunay nga komunikasyon sa magtiayon (We are so happy that we were able to attend this gathering. We were able to understand and appreciate Gender and Development and our participation in this endeavor. It was also my first time to hear my husband’s perspective on my negative and positive traits. We were also able to understand better the importance of open communication between married couples),” shared Analiza Gogo of Barangay Mercedes, Caraga, Davao Oriental.

The gender dialogues held in Tarragona, Manay and Caraga were among the 11 gender dialogues conducted all over Davao Region. Over 160 couples from the municipalities of Laak in Compostela Valley; Talaingod in Davao del Norte; Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Malita, Sta. Maria and Sarangani in Davao del Sur; Davao City; and recently in Tarragona, Manay and Caraga in Davao Oriental were able to participate.

“Women is one of the key target groups of Pantawid Pamilya. The improved health condition of pregnant women and education of school girls as direct beneficiaries are among the paramount consideration of the program. Also, the conditional cash transfers directly granted to mothers provided them not only recognition of women’s unpaid labor but as well as help them increase women’s bargaining power within the household. These all ushered our beneficiaries to the path of empowerment, thereby achieving gender equality in the households and in the community,” emphasized Ella Charise M. Antepasado, Regional GAD Focal Person for Pantawid Pamilya.

Pantawid Pamilya is a poverty-reduction strategy of the national government that provides cash assistance to identified poor households in the country. Family beneficiaries comply with certain health and education conditions in order to receive their cash grants. At present, Pantawid Pamilya covers 43 municipalities and 6 cities in Region XI benefitting over 200,000 families in 1,101 barangays. DSWD