COTABATO CITY – In an effort to deepen the knowledge and skills of humanitarian workers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on gender issues, the region’s Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW-ARMM) conducted a training workshop for gender focal persons from different ARMM agencies and humanitarian workers from October 26 to 30 in Davao City.
Sittie Jehanne Mutin, RCBW-ARMM chairperson, said the workshop was conducted in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA). It was aimed at ‘genderizing’ humanitarian action during emergencies, such as disaster or crisis, to ensure that women’s needs are properly addressed.
Gender sensitive approach in disaster risk management is vital in safeguarding the distinct needs of men, women, as well as boys and girls during humanitarian response activities, Mutin stressed.
One of the workshop’s objectives, said Rowena Dacsig, gender and focal point person of UN-OCHA, was to engage and equip government counterparts on gender equality programming during emergencies for focus targeting, specifically to build confidence and competence in the teams that support humanitarian action. It also aims at imparting knowledge on the concepts of gender mainstreaming.
As one of the agencies of the United Nations, OCHA is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response during emergencies. It has been complementing the Philippine government’s response to disaster and engaging humanitarian coordination since 2007.
Education and advocacy with local government officials and community leaders are also important in order to fully involve not only men but also women and marginalized groups in disaster management activities and decision-making.
ARMM, through its Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC), has been implementing disaster preparedness, mitigation and adaptation measures to reduce risks and widespread destruction in times of calamities.
RDRRMC-ARMM is composed of different line agencies operating in the region. The ARMM Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team serves as its rapid response mechanism and nerve center.
Several areas in ARMM are disaster-prone, both natural and man-made, thus preparedness is crucial to help mitigate the impact of disasters. Dacsig said participants should have increased their understanding on the dynamics of gender equality and sensitivity using gender responsive programming and that these would be applied in their respective areas of work. (Bureau of Public Information)
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