Working together in advocating policy reforms for women’s empowerment and gender equality

Recognizing the crucial role of legislation in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) and its partners teamed up with the House of Representatives Committee on Women and Gender Equality for a week-long celebration of National Women’s Month in Congress. A highlight of this celebration was the policy forum on women and rural development held on March 6 called “Women’s Economic and Political Empowerment: Opportunities and Challenges” and that was organized with We Effect Philippines Country Office. Mobilizing legislators holding key positions in Congress, committee and legislative staff, and representatives of civil society organizations, the discussion centered on the general situation of women in rural communities, particularly the women farmers, fisherfolk, and those in the informal sector and recommendations on legislative reforms that may be introduced to help improve the situation. By the end of the forum, the participants committed to pursuing the advocacy for gender-responsive laws.