Report on Gender Analysis Training and Gender Integration Validation Workshop

A total of 33 SURGE Project employees, 23 females and 10 males from the administrative and technical teams, city coordinators, and senior management participated in the training sessions. The perspective setting on the first day was attended by both administrative and technical staff, while the second and third days were designed for technical staff. The three-day training activity aimed to discuss SURGE Gender Integration processes intended to enhance the three major components by addressing gender concerns that can improve the performance of the Project. It also served as a sharing platform to present key findings and recommendations from the Participatory Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis (PGESIA) report for validation, and finalization of the proposed 5-year comprehensive Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Plan for the SURGE Project. The training workshop aimed to equip SURGE Project technical staff with essential gender analysis skills to recognize and address gender impediments. At the end of the training workshop, the participants would be able to discuss key concepts on Gender and Development rationale, principles, and processes; identify the provisions in the USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy (GEFE), other GAD-related laws, and international instruments; understand gender integration process in the USAID Program Cycle; and gain basic understanding and skills on gender analysis and its application to the SURGE PGESIA framework. The training activity was held using the following methods: lecture & input discussion, film showing, workshop activities, and validation workshop. The final training design was customized following a training needs assessment survey questionnaire to assess SURGE Project staff knowledge and capacity in gender integration and gender analysis. The 3-day training was intended to be highly participatory and featured a range of adult learning techniques, including break-out groups, interactive exercises, case studies, discussions, and opportunities for learning by doing. On the first day of the training, SURGE Project's Gender Specialist Ma. Gichelle Cruz facilitated the session by setting the tone for equal, non-hierarchal, and active participation among participants. She welcomed the group and started the session by presenting the results of the training needs assessment survey. The results of the session reflected uneven levels of understanding and knowledge about gender and its important concepts. Some participants only knew the basic knowledge, while others had attended several seminars and trainings in the past about gender. During the session, the participants identified activities the project can implement for gender mainstreaming. The session then proceeded with a lecture-discussion of Professor Emeritus & former Dean of University of the Philippines' College of Social Work and Community Development (UP CSWCD), Amaryllis Tiglao Torres. Torres shared her extensive knowledge in Gender and Development (GAD) and covered the topics of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and its relation to SURGE. The presentation also showed how gender equality is related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Torres pointed out that the principles of GESI could be incorporated in the project, emphasizing the importance of gender in building urban areas that promote resilience and inclusion. Break-out sessions on situational analysis and gender analysis were conducted, and participants were encouraged to share their experiences and insights on gender mainstreaming in the project. The training also featured a film showing on gender and development, which highlighted the importance of addressing gender-related issues in development projects. The training activity was highly participatory and featured a range of adult learning techniques, including break-out groups, interactive exercises, case studies, discussions, and opportunities for learning by doing. The training also featured a validation workshop, where participants validated the key findings and recommendations from the PGESIA report and finalized the proposed 5-year comprehensive GESI Plan for the SURGE Project. The training workshop was a significant step towards achieving the overall objective of the project to enable second-tier cities to become economically thriving and resilient growth centers outside the urban core of Manila. The project's gender mainstreaming work ensures that staff has adequate knowledge, capacity, and tools to integrate gender considerations into their work. Gender considerations are to be integrated into all SURGE Project processes, practices, and activities. Working towards this key result, the project participatory gender training has been designed and implemented in a gender-sensitive manner to ensure that both women and men across ranks are able to both actively participate in and benefit from opportunities and