COTABATO – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will conduct a leadership summit for Bangsamoro women on February 1-2 to help enhance women’s political participation in local and regional governance.
Sittie Jehanne Mutin, chairperson of the ARMM’s Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW-ARMM), said the 1st ARMM Bangsamoro Women Leadership Summit aims to “strengthen women’s roles and leadership, power and decision-making towards transformative governance.”
The summit is a joint activity of the RCBW-ARMM and the Department of Education (DepEd)-ARMM. It will be held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex inside the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City and is expected to draw in around 1,000 women leaders from civil society organizations, local government units and the academe. Some women educators from different parts of the region will also be invited.
The ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basian, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Mutin said they have invited at least 12 resource persons whose background and expertise are on women in local governance and other women advocacies for the two-day summit.
“The projection is to develop a critical mass of Bangsamoro women leaders who will lead and be part of the change in governance and peace building,” Mutin added.
She said the summit, which carries the theme “Strengthening Bangsamoro Women’s Leadership towards Transformative Governance”, will give participants “an opportunity to understand and appreciate deeper the intricacies of transformative governance that is responsive to the cultural identity of the Bangsamoro people.”
Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta for Women promotes the full participation and equitable representation of women in all aspects of society particularly in the decision-making and policy-making processes in government and public spheres entities in order to fully realize their roles as agents and beneficiaries of development.
The RCBW, being the principal women development agency of the ARMM, has initiated programs designed to empower and develop women’s rights and welfare. The programs include trainings on basic gender and development (GAD) concepts, GAD Focal Point System, gender mainstreaming, and basic gender analysis. (Bureau of Public Information)
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