What is GAD?

“Gender and Development” or GAD is a development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potential.

It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to transform society’s social, economic, and political structures and questions the validity of the gender roles they ascribe to women and men; contends that women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of development assistance; and stresses the need of women to organize themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights.

In the Philippine foreign service, GAD supports the third pillar of Philippine foreign policy of advancing the welfare and well-being of Filipino nationals overseas.

What are the legal bases of GAD?

The 1987 Philippine Constitution stipulates the following: “The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights, and recognizes the fundamental equality of women and men before the law.”

Republic Act No 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, a comprehensive human rights law, embodies this policy as it promotes women empowerment, calls for equal opportunities for women and men, and ensures equal access to resources and to development results and outcome in the Philippines.

The Philippines is also a party to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030, and other similar international treaties and commitments.

How is GAD implemented at the Consulate?

 With the support of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the GAD Secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco contributes in the Philippine government’s GAD implementation through campaigns, services and activities that advance gender equality and women empowerment:

• The Consulate has designated a GAD Focal Point Officer, with a rank of a Foreign Service Officer, who oversees the inclusion of GAD in the Consulate’s planning processes and service delivery, and spearheads programs and projects that promote the rights and welfare as well as highlight the successes of Filipino women under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.

• The Consulate gathers sex- and age-disaggregated data from its consular clients, collected within the parameters of the Philippine Data Privacy Act, which aid the Consulate in improving its frontline services, and planning its projects and activities.

• The Consulate organizes activities for annual Philippine commemorations such as the National Women’s Month every March, and the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women from November 25 to December 12.

• The Consulate supports the initiatives of federal, state and local governments, and the Filipino American community on issues such as domestic abuse and violence, and their programs that create socioeconomic opportunities for Filipino and Filipino American women.