Tacloban City, March 5 – DSWD Region Eight Director Leticia Diokno was Guest of Honor in this Monday’s Flag Ceremony program of the Philippine National Police Regional Command, held at Campetic in Palo, Leyte.   Her talk principally focused on women, with this month’s observance of the National Women’s Month.

The following is her full – length speech that highlights on gender equality and empowerment, and the role of women in combating climate change.

“ Good morning ! Thank you so much for inviting me to speak before your group of uniformed men . . . and alas, women !   I feel standing tall because in this male – dominated police force, here I am – a woman, being looked up to and listened. I am also proud that I am not alone here now, even much prouder seeing my kind in the field which originally men can only handle.

Ladies and gentlemen, concerns about women are not to be taken lightly . . . and not to be looked into, solely every month of March, when we observe the National Women’s Month. Gender equality, specially, is a daily issue that affects each and every lives because GENDER spells DEVELOPMENT ! However, I am not saying that the matter is solely geared to women, but also of men, as there are also men – victims of abuses. However, the situation does not reach to a large extent, as that of their female counterpart.

The DSWD is serious at fulfilling the Millennium Development Goal or MDG on gender equality through our programs on Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), KALAHI-CIDSS, and Sustainable Livelihood, and through our advocacy campaign against trafficking, abuse and all other forms of violence within and outside our agency.  Very recently, we organized a movement of Men Opposed to Violence Against Women and Children Everywhere. This is composed of our male employees of our Department.

The Office of the President through the Philippine Commission on Women issued Memorandum Circular 01 on October 21, 2011, providing GUIDELINES FOR THE CREATION, STREGTHENING, AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) FOCAL POINT SYSTEM in constitutional bodies, government departments, agencies, bureaus, state colleges and universities, government-owned or controlled corporations, and all other government instrumentalities.

The MC provides procedures and clarifies the roles and responsibilities, composition, and structure of the Gender Focal Point System to enable it to function as a mechanism for catalyzing and accelerating gender mainstreaming in the agency towards the promotion of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

I wish to laud the PNP for its magnanimous contribution to cause of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. I may say … you are now advance in mainstreaming GAD. Your GAD Focal Point may be effective in its advocacy. You have increased the number of women recruits in this male – dominated institution. You have established women’s help desk managed by a woman police in every police station, with a paradigm shift from its traditional process of dealing with crimes, to a more humane And gender – sensitive procedure and environment. You have “genderize” police function, giving bias on the capacity rather than on gender. Senior female police officers are gradually placed in positions of higher responsibility. The Welfare of Women Police Force and their children have been addressed through the appropriate facility.

Women Weathering Climate Change : Governance and Accountability, Everyone’s Responsibility. . . this is the theme of this year’s celebration of Women’s Month. With gender equality follows the empowering of women . . . women gaining control over affairs of the community, and even those others of national interest. CLIMATE CHANGE is now widely recognized as a major environmental problem facing the globe.   Women can perform a big role in reducing the risks of disasters resulting from climate change !

This year’s theme of National Women’s Month aptly calls for this scenario, where women become key players in addressing climate change, starting from their own homes. The Women Police Force, the Wives of the Police Force are the strong force who can actively participate in our advocacy to reduce the risk of disaster resulting from climate change.

Reduction, and its main concern is to ensure that all families are prepared in case of impending disaster, such as flood, flash flood, fire, earthquake and other kinds of threat within the community. Women can take center stage on this !

Our Honorable Secretary, Corazon Juliano – Soliman, has set the directions for 2012, focusing mainly on poverty reduction and disaster risk reduction. To reiterate the Secretary’s appeal, she said there is an urgent need to prepare for the effects of climate change. By these words, she means mapping out the most vulnerable areas, and creating proactive community programs on disaster risk reduction via cash-for-work activities.

We are partners in this endeavour. Together let us continually educate the people starting from our own families, institution, and communities, to have a sustainable environment, and to reduce the risk of disaster brought by climate change.

Let us continually strive to move out into the fullness of who we are as human beings.

Let us build on the paradigm shift we have started, and continually apply the principles of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in our daily life.

I say ….hurray to the male – dominated institution of the police force for upholding the rights of women, and for highly supporting and advocating gender and development.

Happy Women’s Month !

Mabuhay tayong lahat !