Gender and Diversity Organizational Assessment Workshop conducted by Philippine Red Cross

Following its mandate of reaching and providing humanitarian service to the most vulnerable, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), with the support of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Australian Red Cross, held a Gender and Diversity (GAD) Organizational Assessment Workshop on 17-18 July 2017 at the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Multipurpose Hall. The two-day activity seeks to come-up with valuable strategies to integrate GAD in the operations and services of the PRC.

Gender and Diversity

GAD is one of the cross cutting thematic issues that the IFRC has identified to affect the implementation of a project especially in a humanitarian organization such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The IFRC developed a GAD Strategic Framework to ensure that Red Cross programs are not gender biased i.e. having equal allocation of resources, opportunities and services to everyone, as well as, encouraging equity in decision making across diverse groups.

GAD Mainstreaming in the Philippine Red Cross (PRC)

Currently, Ms. Norwina Eclarinal—Officer in Charge Manager of International Relations and Strategic Partnerships Office (IRSPO)—is the lead advocate and the designated GAD focal person in various PRC projects. Since last year, Eclarinal spearheaded activities toward GAD integration such as facilitating awareness session on GAD, involving and consulting PRC staff in GAD mainstreaming initiative, and just recently conducted an assessment on the perception of the PRC staff and volunteers to determine the presence and extent of GAD in the organization.

The said assessment was conducted to selected PRC Chapters implementing various programs and was assisted by IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office.

Gender and Diversity Organizational Assessment Workshop conducted by Philippine Red Cross

Some of the highlights of the recommendations made by the committee were involving the PRC Board of Governors in this initiative, strengthening awareness campaigns about GAD, working with the human resource department in implementing GAD sensitive policies for the staff, and linking with Community Engagement and Accountability to establish multiple avenues of feedback from our beneficiaries.

Through the current efforts for GAD, the technical working group envisions PRC as an organization which respects and response to the GAD needs of the staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.

For more information, please contact Maryjoy.evalarosa@ifrc.org