Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan, Director of the Office of Gender Concerns, was invited to serve as the subject matter expert for Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in the 2022 Civil Service Commission (CSC) Public Sector Human Resources Symposium held last September 14-16 via virtual platforms. 

Plenary and concurrent session speakers for the 2022 CS Public HR Symposium. Photo courtesy of Philippine Civil Service Commission

The symposium started with Dr. Taylan introducing the attendees to the concepts of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. She mentioned how despite many years and attempts to educate people on these concepts, it is difficult to break stereotypes especially when these are learned at such an early age, and further reinforced in places of socialization such as schools, church, and offices, but it is possible. Emphasizing the role of public servants and organization leaders in GEDSI, Dr.Taylan said  “[What’s needed is] going beyond oneself and  the usual, widening horizons, looking out for others with empathy and compassion, and building a more flexible, respectful, and open community or organization which is safe and humane for more than one sector and hopefully for all.” A social worker by profession, Dr. Taylan also serves as the Program Chair of Social Work and Women and Development graduate programs of UPOU.

Dr. Taylan served as the speaker in the concurrent session on GEDSI. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Civil Service Commission.

The Public HR Symposium is an annual event by the Civil Service Commission and is the biggest gathering of HR practitioners in the public sector. This year’s theme is Building Resilient Organizations: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Leaders and HR Practitioners. The symposium focused on the importance of resiliency among practitioners especially during unpredictable times. The staff of UPOU Office of Gender Concerns and the Chief of the Human Resource Development Office also attended the symposium.