DFA Celebrates International Women’s Day with a Photo Exhibit and Seminar Workshop on Women, Peace and Security for DFA Personnel

UCSCC Undersecretary Jose Luis Montales together with HRMO Assistant Secretary Ezzedin Tago and Executive Director Maria Lourdes M. Salcedo during the opening of the photo-exhibition.

13 March 2018 MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) celebrated International Women’s Day on 08 March 2018 with a photo exhibit and seminar workshop on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) for DFA personnel. The photo exhibit featured the role of women in conflict situations, while the workshop aimed to mainstream Women, Peace and Security (WPS) issues into the Gender and Development (GAD) framework of the DFA. It also set out to increase awareness among DFA personnel on WPS matters, particularly as they relate to the DFA’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) mandate.

Spearheaded by UCSCC and HRMO, the event was able to gather subject-matter experts from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), as well as key resources speakers from UNIO and UMWA to discuss the subject. Seventy-four participants from the various offices of the Department attended the day-long activity, which was held at the Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini.

In his keynote address, Undersecretary Jose Luis G. Montales impressed upon the participants the need to take to heart WPS perspectives and to fuse these into the larger GAD framework. He noted that this is crucial in continuing efforts of the Department towards enhancing the performance of its mandates, such as in providing assistance to OFWs abroad. END

DFA officials and personnel actively discussing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) issues during the seminar-workshop.