On November 25, 2022, the University of the Philippines Open University Office of Gender Concerns (UPOU-OGC) held a special session on gender considerations in online learning for this year’s 7th National Conference on Open and Distance e-Learning (NCODeL). The theme of the conference was “NCODeL 2022: Reimagining Education Futures.”

Entitled “Gender Dimensions in Public Education and Healing Through Distance Learning and Interventions,” the special session was held via online conferencing and was chaired by Dr. Finaflor Taylan, Director of the OGC.

The hour-long event, which also kicked off the UPOU-OGC’s line-up of activities for its 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, featured five presentations:

• Evaluation of a Questionnaire as an Instrument for Measuring the Level of Knowledge About the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) and the Safe Space Act (RA 11313) Among Homeless Women in Quezon City – Ms. Nikkily Natan, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at USAID-Panagora Philippines and Diploma in Women and Development student, UPOU
• Zoom In: Advancing the Public’s Knowledge on Gender Through Digital Platforms – Ms. Gelyzza Marie R. Diaz, Project Staff, UPOUOGC
• An Academe’s Step Towards Gender Mainstreaming Through Course Review – Ms. Denise Therese Anne A. Palisoc, Anti-Sexual Harassment Program, UPOU-OGC
• Plants Brought Back to Life: An Exploration of Female Adolescent Survivors’ Experiences of Sexual Abuse, Healing, and Resilience – Dr. Maria Lourdes Jarabe, UP Open University and Miriam College (as doctorate graduate)
• Resilient Response in Diversified Online Education: UPOU’s Women and Development Program – Ms. Rosalie Galang, Master of Social Work student, UPOU

NCODeL is a biannual forum organized by UPOU for administrators, teachers, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in the Philippines who want to explore the viability of open, distance, and e-learning for development.

The session hopefully responded to the public’s need for knowledge and intervention on gender as it explores how technology and distance learning and interventions affect the overall awareness, application, and integration on policies, gender issues, and women’s struggles towards creating a more gender sensitive and responsive environment for all.

To view the highlights of the conference, you may click here. To know more about NCODeL, you may visit the NCODeL website at ncodel.org