ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY (PIO) — The Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders Inc. (PANTAY) organization in the Philippines visited and validated the Gender and Development policies and programs of Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University, held at the accreditation room and GAD office yesterday, November 06.
Atty. Aimee Santos-Lyons from the PANTAY organization, led the review and validation activity with the use of the Rainbow Toolkit and Rainbow Report Card, as part of the Project Gender Equality Index in Schools’ (GEIS) campaign to measure the efficiency of the policies with Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) integration, as well as to promote gender inclusivity and safety in Philippine educational institutions.
Further, the tools also aim to identify areas needing improvement or technical assistance and to formulate next steps through recommendations.
On a good note, 22 out of the 25 given items were SOGIESC-responsive and the inclusive policies are in effect for the benefit of the diverse students and employees of the university.
“We are making schools inclusive to achieve an equitable and transformative education. We are hopeful that ZPPSU will be a role model on gender equality and human rights among the universities in Zamboanga Peninsula,” PANTAY Program Officer AJ Villapando said.
The whole day affair also conducted a series of sessions with different talks, including: the Safe Spaces Act and Sexual Harassments led by the Commission on Human Rights – IX, Basics of SOGIESC discussed by Mujer LGBT Inc. Executive Director Ms. Alvin “Toni Gee” Fernandez, and Awareness on Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDs led by Zamboanga City’s LGBT Affairs Officer Ms. Hershey Wencislao.
This was participated by the non-LGBT students, faculty staff, non-teaching personnel, and LGBT members of the university.
The event is spearheaded by ZPPSU – GAD Director Prof. Mary Fe Dela Cruz, along with the GAD coordinators of the different colleges.
“We encourage schools in the journey to make them inclusive without gender discrimination and stereotyping,” Villapando exclaimed. (JRA/ABC/Photos: JBM/Public Information Office)