Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo A.B. Nograles called on delegates from the different ASEAN Member States (AMS) to work together toward achieving gender equality and greater inclusivity in the region.
In his opening remarks at the event titled “Strengthening the Institutional Building Blocks for Implementing the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework: Support to the ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM)”, Nograles said, “May we all stand united toward ensuring an integrated, proactive, and gender responsive environment, as we start in our own respective organizations, moving outwards to the ASEAN Region.”
“We can only be successful in fulfilling these commitments if we are dedicated and transparent to admit what’s lacking in our existing policies and systems, acknowledge what really needs to be done and to get rid of, and bravely move forward with concrete strategic plans that are inclusive, responsive, and fair.”
The two-day event, which started on 28 March 2023, was organized by the CSC through the Civil Service Institute (CSI) and sponsored by the ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimization within the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT). It was held at the Belmont Hotel Manila, Pasay City and streamed online via Zoom, with attendees from the ACCSM and the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) of nine AMS, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, together with Timor-Leste.
The event is aimed at bringing together the knowledge, inputs, and experiences of participants toward producing an Enhanced Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit that is responsive to Gender and Development (GAD) and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) concerns.
Nograles also said that, as prescribed in the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community Blueprint 2025, AMS are committed to “develop regional strategies and enhance institutional capacity for gender mainstreaming in ASEAN policies, programmes and budgets across pillars and sectors” as well as to “support ASEAN Member States’ initiatives in strengthening national gender and age-disaggregated databases and analyses, including poverty and equity, and establish a reliable regional database for key sectors to support ASEAN policies and programs.”
“We can only be successful in fulfilling these commitments if we are dedicated and transparent to admit what’s lacking in our existing policies and systems, acknowledge what really needs to be done and to get rid of, and bravely move forward with concrete strategic plans that are inclusive, responsive, and fair,” Nograles added.
CSC Commissioner Ryan Alvin R. Acosta gave the overview of what will transpire during the two-day event, while Ms. Addilyn Chams-Eddine of the USAID ASEAN Office in Jakarta delivered a keynote message, where she shared areas of cooperation between the ASEAN and US Government for equality and women’s empowerment objectives over the past decade.
Gender Mainstreaming
From the ASEAN Secretariat, Ms. Jacel J. Paguio, Senior Officer of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division, and Ms. Felicia Clarissa, Officer of Labour and Civil Service Division, discussed the gender mainstreaming initiatives being done at the regional level.
This was followed by an orientation on basic GAD concepts by Ms. Nharleen Santos-Millar, Chief GAD Specialist from the Philippine Commission on Women. Ms. Finaflor F. Taylan of the University of the Philippines-Open University elaborated on the concept of GEDSI, and the different bases or elements of diversity which should be considered in building a diverse workforce.
CSC Assistant Commissioner Victoria F. Esber gave an overview of the PRIME HRM, or Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management, where she emphasized the need to use a gender lens in the core HRM areas of Recruitment, Selection and Placement, Rewards and Recognition, Performance Management, and Learning and Development.
During the second half of the program, country delegates shared their best practices and programs on gender mainstreaming in the public sector. The speakers were:
CAMBODIA
Ms. Chinneth Cheng, Director of Gender Equality Department, Ministry of Women’s Affairs
MALAYSIA
Ms. Izzatul Shima binti MD TAHIR, Deputy Director General, Department of Women’s Development, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
INDONESIA
Ms. Neny ROCHYANY, Director of State Civil Apparatus’ Compensation, National Civil Service Agency; and Ms. Lenny Rosalin, Deputy Minister for Gender Equality, Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection
PHILIPPINES
Atty. Rosalita B. Rances-Petaca, Acting Director IV, Office for Human Resource Management and Development, Civil Service Commission
Afterwards, CSC-CSI Director IV Fernando M. Porio presented the enhanced GM Toolkit. A workshop on the review and enhancement of the GM Toolkit immediately followed with CSC-CSI Acting Director III Emylin O. Severo as the main facilitator.
