UNIFEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is represented in the Philippines by Resident Coordinator Terence D. Jones, in his capacity as UNIFEM Focal Point.

Ermelita V. Valdeavilla, Gender Advisor to the Philippine Resident Coordinator, provides advisory services to the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team (UNCT) working groups to enhance the mainstreaming of gender in the work of the country team. With her is Ma. Theresa P. Matibag, project assistant. Contact numbers are: 892-06-11 to 25 local 382 or 893 2708, e- mail: ermie.valdeavilla@undp.org, fax: 840 0732 or 816-4061.

UNIFEM in the Philippines is closely coordinating with UNIFEM Bangkok in its ongoing project on gender mainstreaming in the work of the UNCT. For more information on UNIFEM, refer to the following websites:

UNIFEM East & Southeast Asia: http://www.unifem-eseasia.org/
UNIFEM Asia-Pacific and Arab States Economic Governance:
http://www.unifem-eseasia.org/ecogov-apas/
UNIFEM Global website: http://www.undp.org/unifem/

Ongoing UNIFEM projects in the Philippines

1. PHI/01/006 - Assessment, Strategy Setting and Monitoring and Evaluation of the Gender Dimensions of UNDP and UN Country Team Programming in the Philippines

In keeping with its commitment to women's empowerment and gender equality, UNDP is drawing upon the expertise of UNIFEM to institutionalize gender perspective in the UNDP and UN Country Team Programming cycle in the Philippines. Over a 12-month period, UNIFEM will provide advisory services and manage a process that will result in the integration of the gender into the: (a) Country Cooperation Framework and ultimately the UNDAF; (b) in the UNDP Programming and (c) in its programme/project monitoring and evaluation system.

In addition, UNIFEM will also manage a process that will put in place an annual Assessment, Strategy Setting and Monitoring and Evaluation exercise on gender by the UN Country Team as well as produce the first UN Assessment of Gender Concerns and the first UN Gender Strategy for the Philippines.

2. UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia Regional Programme to Promote the Realization of Women's Human Rights Through the Elimination of Violence Against Women:

Under the project, Supporting Local Initiatives to Eliminate Violence Against Women, UNIFEM works in partnership with PILIPINA (an NGO) and its networks to strengthen and promote community and local-based approaches to eliminate violence against women (EVAW). It works with local government units to mainstream gender into their work. In 2003, the group will produce a handbook on the state-of-the-art of community and local based programs to EVAW and to promote women's human rights.

3. RAS/00/W06 - Strengthening the Network of Homebased Workers in Asia (Philippine Component partners with PATAMABA)

This 2 year project, which also receives contributions from the Philippine UNIFEM National Committee Inc., seeks to strengthen the homebased workers organizations at the national (and regional) levels and undertake policy advocacy of key issues affecting homebased workers including the ratification of the ILO Convention on Home Work and the development of social protection schemes including promoting fair trade (in Thailand).

To date the PATAMABA had achieved the following:

• Completed the mapping of homebased workers in 4 areas (Bulacan, Rizal, NCR,Iloilo) has been completed
• Conducted training of trainers workshop for leaders from each province focusing on examining the national and international developments connected with globalization and how these are impacting on the homebased workers;
• Website development is being undertaken to get connected with other homenets in Southeast Asia and South Asia;
• Social Protection schemes are being piloted with Philhealth, SSS including local damayan associations to avail of services from sickness to death.
• Lobbying and advocacy networking are done, where PATAMABA leaders participate in meetings both national and international affecting homebased workers

4. Regional Programme on Engendering Economic Governance in the Asia-Pacific and the Arab States

• Preparatory Assistance to Strengthen Gender Budgeting in the Philippines

This Preparatory Assistance (PA) seeks to review the six-year implementation of the Gender and Development (GAD) budget policy, consider the role of the 5 percent GAD budget within the context of gender analysis of the total budget, and develop a proposal to strengthen and, where appropriate, extend the approach to gender budgeting in the Philippines.

This ongoing initiative will involve establishing a participatory process among staff from relevant government agencies, including the NCRFW and Department of Budget and Management, women's organizations and relevant leaders in the legislature.