Philippine Consulate General in Calgary Joins 18-Day Campaign Through #IVowToEndVaw GAD Echo Webinar

CALGARY 20 December 2023 – The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary capped off the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women through the #IVowToEndVaw Gender and Development (GAD) Echo Webinar on 11 December 2023 that was attended by the personnel of the PCG and the Office of the Social Security System in Calgary.

The echo webinar was held on the eve of the end of the 18-day campaign that ran from 25 November to 12 December 2023.

The PCG’s GAD Focal Point Officer, Vice Consul Vida Soraya Verzosa, shared and discussed with the participants the educational GAD materials that were used at the GAD Re-tooling Workshop she attended in Mexico City last September 2023.

The Department of Foreign Affairs organized the regional workshop for the GAD officers of the Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in Americas to deepen their understanding about GAD concepts and issues in their preparation of the GAD Plan and Budget, as well as the GAD Accomplishment Report.

Through the presentations and videos that Vice Consul Verzosa shared at the echo webinar, the participants gained knowledge about the following: 1) GAD Concepts and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC); 2) Gender Mainstreaming; 3) Gender Analysis; 4) Use of the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines to mainstream GAD Elements in the Project Development Cycle; (5) GAD Planning and Budgeting: and (6) The GAD Agenda.

She also gave a brief overview of the updates to the existing Anti-Violence Against Women and Children laws in the Philippines.

Consul General Zaldy Patron encouraged all the PCG and the SSS personnel to apply their learnings from the echo webinar by integrating them in the PCG’s programs and projects. Likewise, he advised the PCG personnel to be guided by their new knowledge on GAD when dealing with the public. END

For more information, visit https://www.calgarypcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCalgary/.