With the aim to remind and continually educate cooperatives on the importance of Gender and Development (GAD), CDA Region 10 conducted a whole day Virtual GAD Training (via Zoom) on June 22, 202, covering discussions on basic Gender Concepts, Memorandum Circular No. 2013-22: GUIDELINES ON MAINSTREAMING GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) IN COOPERATIVES and MC 2017-04: TOOL FOR ASSESSING PROGRESS OF GENDER EQUALITY IN PRIMARY COOPERATIVES  AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR 2013-22, followed by a virtual workshop on the GAD Assessment Tool.

The training was well attended, with a total of 458 participants (Male-150, Female-308) composed of members of the GAD Committee, GAD Focal Persons, Managers, members of the Board of Directors and other officers of cooperatives from all over Region 10. Although there had been previous seminars given to cooperatives on GAD Mainstreaming, during this virtual training, emphasis was made on how to answer and use the GAD Assessment Tool. Said tool aims to assess the cooperative’s progress in mainstreaming GAD to achieve gender equality and determine the extent to which the cooperative has embraced the gender equality principles in its organization.

Prior to the activity, materials for the workshop were already sent via email to the participants who pre-registered for said training. During the workshop, the resource speakers presented a sample cooperative with given data for assessment, and clearly demonstrated the step by step procedure to answer the tool and explained each performance indicators, parameters and its interpretation.

Since the workshop was done online, participants were encouraged to email their answers and were accordingly validated if their results were the same as that of the correct one. A GAD Plan based on the result of the tool was also given for reference. Despite challenges of doing it virtually, the training was effective and productive as participants were very cooperative in sending their accomplished tools on time, while some even voluntarily used their own coop data and submitted them via email for checking.

Video presentations on GAD Mainstreaming programs and activities already done by some cooperatives of Region 10 were also showcased during the activity, encouraging all participants to do the same in their own cooperatives.

Learning is endless, it is a continuous process, but the pandemic has posed so many challenges to the cooperatives, as well as to the Authority. However, with the use of technology, innovation and the passion to serve, CDA -10 will continue to provide relevant trainings and seminars which will help in the development of cooperatives in the region.