As the main actor in forwarding gender mainstreaming efforts in their University, the Bicol University (BU) Center for Gender and Development (BUCGAD) sought to learn the best practices of Cavite State University’s (CvSU) Gender and Development Resource Center (GADRC) through a benchmarking visit on September 24, 2024.
While establishing their Center in 2016, the Gender and Development (GAD) Coordinators of BU’s campuses and units welcomed the initiatives and experiences of the CvSU GADRC to refine their own. Ms. Ellaine E. Todoc, GADRC staff, presented CvSU’s best practices, following the four entry points of the Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework which serves as the foundation for CvSU’s efforts. Ms. Todoc discussed the policies of the University that helped forward GADRC’s campaigns, the Enabling Mechanisms that interact with stakeholders, and the implemented programs, activities, and projects.
Ms. Todoc also outlined the people involved in gender mainstreaming, emphasizing how the support from the top management has enabled them to mobilize the entire community, and how it has been an important factor in the University’s achievement as the four-time recipient of the Most Outstanding State University in GAD Implementation in Calabarzon.
Afterwards, BUCGAD Director Dr. Noel Rafer shared her key insights from Ms. Todoc’s discussion, and presented their University’s best practices, highlighting the available facilities, services, and publications.
Both universities were able to learn from each other, with BUCGAD’s GAD Coordinators expressing their gratitude for the eye-opening insights that they can apply in their Center and University.
