In time with the celebration of National Women’s Month, the UP Open University (UPOU) Office of Gender Concerns (OGC) launched the UPOU National Women’s Month face-to-face campaign on 6 March 2024 at the UPOU Headquarters. This activity is part of the UPOU’s advocacy and fight for gender equality and women’s empowerment  through the OGC and the UPOU Gender Focal Point System.

The UPOU faculty and staff members gathered at the lobby of the UPOU Main Building at 1:00 PM for a fun-filled launching of the National Women’s Month celebration. This was done through a mini lecture by OGC Director, Dr. Finaflor Taylan, the facilitation of a couple of games, and the giving out information flyers coupled with advocacy souvenirs. These information materials not only enticed people to visit the booth but also ignited them to participate in meaningful conversations about gender and development and gender issues. Moreover, to show solidarity and support for women, everyone in attendance was encouraged to wear purple, the color symbolizing women’s empowerment and equality.

In addition to the mentioned activities, the OGC also organized the first Gender Equality Matters (GEM) forum which served as the formal opening program for the Women’s Month Celebration. This was held on the same day at 4:00 PM at CCDL Auditorium, UPOU Headquarters.

The GEM Forum started with an opening message delivered by Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, the Chancellor of UPOU. Chancellor Bandalaria highlighted UPOU’s theme for the Women’s Month Celebration 2024, “UPOU Working for Progress, Equality, and Inclusivity through Enhanced Community Engagement within Open and Distance e-learning,” and she shared the importance, meaning, and depth of these concepts in relation to UPOU’s programs and directions. She mentioned the commitment of the university in contributing to achieve the said goals.

Dr. Joane V. Serrano, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) served as the speaker of the forum. She started her discussion by elaborating that Women’s Month is the time when women, men, and all genders should recognize the need for inclusive and equitable initiatives to achieve progress and sustainable development. She said, “focusing on women does not mean we undermine the importance of men and other genders in our society.” Drawing from UPOU’s nature and initiatives, Dr. Serrano emphasized the importance of providing safe spaces for women and embracing empowerment in all aspects of their lives. She also highlighted the commitment of UPOU to creating a learning environment that is accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all individuals like the marginalized women.

In the last part of her talk, she gave a sneak peek at the community engagement activities led by FMDS such as the Community Inclusivity Digital Transformation and Acceleration Towards Sustainability (CIDAS) Program within ODeL, Barangay Digital Transformation Hub, and Women’s Classes in communities in Laguna.

The program was followed by an engaging open forum where participants had the opportunity to share their thoughts and ask the speakers for further insights. Dean Serrano was joined by Dr. Taylan in answering the questions from the participants. Highlighted in the open forum were discussions on gender equality and responsiveness in the education, agriculture, health, and community engagement sectors and fields. Gender sensitivity and equitable access to information and services were highlighted in the answers of the speakers.

During the opening program, the OGC also launched various initiatives such as the SPEAK UP series and GEM Series. Another highlight of the event was the launch of the GAD Microcredential program developed by FMDS in partnership with OGC. Other announcements were made such as the development of the Asian Association for Women’s Studies (AAWS) Website and the completion of the MOOC on Gender Sensitivity. Dr. Taylan also announced the upcoming activities for the National Women’s Month encouraging everyone to participate in this month-long celebration and the other gender-related activities of the university for the next months.

In the closing, UPOU Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Dr. Primo Garcia, expressed his gratitude to the organizers and participants for their active participation and insightful contributions. He then emphasized the important role of ODeL in promoting gender equality and equity.

Ms. Dani Mercado served as host and moderator of the GEM Forum.

The UPOU’s Women’s Month opening activities such as the Kick-off booth and GEM forum were important initiatives to ensure that women are given equal opportunities and respect in all aspects of life and a call to action for all attendees to continue working for progress, equality, and inclusivity. It is events like these that remind us of the importance of coming together as a community to create positive changes in the world.

Written by Dani Mercado ♦ Edited by Dr. Finaflor Taylan and Anna Cañas-Llamas ♦ Contributed by UPOU Office of Gender Concerns