THE University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Center and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recognizes the achievements of women creating opportunities for them to be part of the discussion and promote inclusivity, especially in the agricultural sector.
This initiative, according to SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio is in partnership with the Philippines Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA).
Recently, SEARCA and PPSA celebrated the achievements of women in agriculture at the BGC Community Farm by Urban Farmers PH in Taguig City with the theme "WE Can Do It: Empowering Women in Agriculture" Forum.
The event was co-organized with the PPSA Women's Cohort Leads, Agriterra Philippines and Morination Agriculture Products, along with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands.
Around 40 stakeholders from the government, academe and research institutions, civil society organizations, donor and development aid agencies, agribusinesses, and other private sector organizations joined the event.
PPSA country director Angel Bautista said they are encouraging everyone to step up and become champions for women, especially women in agriculture who are sustaining food systems globally.
Underlining the value of establishing multistakeholder partnerships with like-minded institutions, Bautista said they believe that they "can contribute to elevating women in agriculture so they can be on equal footing with their male counterparts because when women thrive, our agri-food systems also thrive."
Netherlands Ambassador to the Philippines and the European Union (EU) Gender Ambassador Marielle Geraedts observed that despite the important contribution of women in the Philippine agriculture workforce, they still suffer from inequalities in this male-dominated field.
"Given this, we recognize that knowledge exchange is key to promoting best practices of responsible business conduct and women empowerment in the agriculture sector," Geraedts added.
During the event at the BGC Community farm, Gregorio noted that women champions who are taking the lead in the agricultural sector shared their experiences and initiatives in uplifting the lives of women farmers.
One of them was Cherrie Atilano, Agrea Foundation president and chief executive officer, who discussed Finding Opportunities and Roles for Women in Agriculture and Development or Project Forward, which now has 200 members in five provinces across the Philippines.
Another was Rose Dalina, president of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Natural Organic Garden in Payatas, Quezon City, who spoke about how she and her fellow former OFWs in Payatas turned to urban farming during the pandemic. They now make a living as full-time farmers.
Meanwhile, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) deputy director Ma. Kristine Josefina Balmes said PCW's initiatives "aim to enable women in domestic work, financial inclusion and climate change adaptation and resiliency."
A workshop session on developing the PPSA Women's Cohort roadmap was also conducted during the event, while another session featured talks from science communication experts.
Prof. Elaine Llarena from the UPLB-College of Development Communication and associate professor Inez Ponce de Leon from the Ateneo de Manila University-Department of Communication have also contributed their expertise in science communication.
"Science communication is more than just popularizing technical information; it should involve social conversation around science," they said, adding that there are different ways in which science communication is practiced aside from legitimate media.
They also emphasized the importance of improving science literacy and building a science habit, especially among the youth.
Celebrating Women in Agriscience and Science Communication 101 for Researchers is jointly led by SEARCA as the lead of the Learning Alliance Working Group.