In this third week of International Women?s Month, it may be helpful to talk about institutional allies that can support the very worthy cause of women empowerment.
One such ally is the National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC) http://nafc.da.gov.ph/. It has 16 regional Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs), 79 provincial AFCs and 1,592 municipal AFCs.
Last March 13 and 15, respectively, two Inquirer front page headlines read: ?RP girls beat boys in math, says US study? and ?RP leads world in number of women execs.?
Data from the Department of Labor and Employment http://www.dole.gov.ph/ showed that in 2007, the ratio was 2.3 million female managers to 1.7 million male managers. Unfortunately, this recognition of female talent does not filter down to the rural areas.
Investing in women
In several reports, the World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/ stated that when it comes to rural livelihood enterprises, investing in women provides the best return on investment.
Our own recent Ramon Magsaysay Award http://www.rmaf.org.ph/ recipient, Aris Alip, states that his internationally awarded micro-enterprise lending program limits its loans to women. This is not surprising.
My own eight-year experience in chairing the Department of Trade and Industry?s ?Tulong sa Tao? micro-enterprise lending program, judged by the Asian Development Bank as one of the best in Asia, owed its success to women entrepreneurs, who had significantly higher repayment rates than men.
At the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/ in Beijing, then-senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani said that the industrial age required physical strength. Thus, it was the age of men.
Today?s information age has new requirements: multitasking, teamwork, sensitivity, and interpersonal skills. Since women are considered better in these areas than men, this is now the age of women.
One of the sayings that make some men uncomfortable because it may have an element of truth is: ?Women are wiser than men, not because they know more, but because they understand more.?
It is suggested that understanding the complexities in today?s world is an essential ingredient for success.
A funny but true story is told of a man, usually very vocal and aggressive, who became unusually quiet when he attended a meeting with very talented women.
He was asked, ?Do you have an inferiority complex when you are with us?? He answered: ?No, it?s not an inferiority complex. Compared to you, I?m just plain inferior.?
International convention
It is thus sad to note that rural women in the Philippines are not given the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Worse, they are discriminated against.
The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ has the following guideline: ?Countries that have ratified or acceded to the convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports.?
The Philippine national report states: ?Agriculture and fisheries are viewed as male areas, even if women are engaged in such occupations. Because of this non-recognition, rural women suffer. They have limited access to resources, agricultural support systems, training and technology.?
The Alyansa Agrikultura?s [Agricultural Alliance?s] common agro-fishery national agenda, approved by 44 federations and organizations, agrees with this when it states that government should ?guarantee access of women to basic services and agricultural and fisheries support services.?
But to do this properly, the national report adds: ?The programs and services to be delivered to rural women should be anchored on a comprehensive collection and analysis of socioeconomic data of women?s needs and concerns in the locality.?
Role of AFCs
This is where the AFCs can play a crucial role. According to the AFCs? website, the AFCs? primary task is ?to promote private sector participation in agricultural and fishery development through consultation, advocacy, planning, monitoring, and project evaluation.?
The AFCs, specially at the provincial and municipal levels, can provide the needed ?data of women?s needs and concerns in the locality.? They can then recommend that part of the 2009 DA P41-billion budget (a 50-percent increase from last year) approved by President Macapagal-Arroyo last March 13, be used for the ?programs and services to be delivered to rural women.?
At the local level, where it is most important, the AFCs can help ensure that at least 5 percent of the DA budget mandated by law will be earmarked for rural women empowerment.
This coming March 26 and 27, all the regional AFC chairpersons led by Ricardo Provido will meet to give recommendations on how to best use the DA budget.
Right moves
Last week, Provido said: ?I want to push not just for efficiency in DA budget use, which is what is emphasized today; more importantly, I want to concentrate on efficacy. If we are efficient but do not address the real needs of our people, we are not doing the right thing.?
It is hoped that at this meeting, which is being held at the culmination of the International Women?s Month, doing the right thing by initiating substantive rural women empowerment programs will be a legacy of DA Secretary Arthur Yap that others can build on.
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The author is chairman of Agriwatch, former secretary for presidential flagship programs and projects, former undersecretary of agriculture, and former undersecretary of trade and industry. For inquiries and suggestions, email agriwatchphil@yahoo.com or call or fax +632 8522112.
