The Mindanawon Co-operative Movement’s Gender and Development (GAD) Strategic Planning Workshop proved to be an insightful and pivotal event held on December 5-6, 2023, at The Dynasty Court Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. The aim of the workshop was to provide a clear direction for the co-op movement by ensuring the inclusion of GAD perspectives and priorities.

The event was attended by 15 co-operatives from different regions, with 13 females and five males taking part. This showed a growing interest and commitment to address GAD concerns within the co-op sector. Doris Calapiz, Women’s Representative to the Board of Directors and Chairperson of the MASS-SPECC GAD Committee, welcomed the workshop participants.

Salome Ganibe, the senior consultant of the Gender Equality Resource Center (GERC) Inc. and former Executive Director of the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF), acted as the resource facilitator. She provided a global and national perspective on GAD, giving invaluable insights during discussions on memorandum circulars addressing GAD and the duties and responsibilities of GAD teams within co-operatives.

The workshop covered sessions on the MASS-SPECC Co-op Movement Strategic Plan, presentations of the results from the Gender Assessment Tool (GAT) from various regions utilizing the web-based GAT developed by GERC, Inc., and workshops aimed at identifying common GAD actions and intervention strategies.

To consolidate a comprehensive understanding of the GAD landscape within the Mindanawon co-op movement, emphasis was placed on the submission of the web-based GAT results from primary co-ops. The significance of these submissions was highlighted during an initial presentation, where participants greatly appreciated the insights provided.

During the workshop, initial assessment and plans from each respective region were formulated, but they are still to be polished and confirmed by the respective regions soon. The goal is to integrate a comprehensive GAD strategic plan into the MASS-SPECC Strategic Plan for the next three years.

To accommodate the primary co-ops’ convenience of availing of the benefit of the tool, MASS-SPECC offers a three-year (2022, 2023, and 2024 data) free subscription to the web-based GAT in partnership with GERC, Inc. Member co-ops of MASS-SPECC that have fully remitted their CETF are encouraged to register and fill out the tool as soon as possible.

This event provided a crucial platform for the Mindanawon Co-op Movement to consolidate efforts, share expertise, and pave the way for a more inclusive and sustainable co-op sector.

“Insights and contributions gathered during this workshop will be instrumental in shaping a more gender-responsive and purpose-driven future for co-operatives in Mindanao,” shares MASS-SPECC CEO Bernadette Toledo.