Center for Gender and Women Studies

Section 27 of the 1997 General Appropriations Act mandates the allocation of a minimum of 5% of the appropriation of all government agencies to be used for gender-responsive programs, activities, and projects, in accordance with guidelines provided by the National Economic and Development Authority and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women.

The UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies (UPM-CGWS) seeks to actualize and demonstrate UP Manila’s commitment to the provision of support mechanisms amended to strengthen institutional capabilities for addressing gender-related issues and concerns provided by RA 7192 throughout the autonomous units. Apart from the academic thrusts that are undertaken, UPM-CGWS seeks to develop tools and protocols and working models of health care that enable health workers in other parts of the country to operationalize gender-sensitive programs and services, and ultimately to influence policy-development within the national health sector.

Prof. Mary Dorothy dL. Jose, PhD

Historically, the movement for gender responsiveness stemmed from the women’s movement. This has been highlighted in several international and national conferences. Reflecting this movement, different units within UP Manila have several initiatives to bridge the gaps in research and delivery of service to traditionally neglected areas such as the treatment of sexually tortured women, psychosocial problems of women in resettlement sites, research on osteoporosis, rehabilitation of meno-pausal women, pain conditions in women, and common sports injuries in women, among others.

Through the UP Manila Committee on Women’s Health and Development, there have also been initiatives to develop a framework and database for responding to gender issues as they are related to health. Among these are research and advocacy projects on a national situationer on preventive health services for women, ‘gold standards’ for preventive health care of women as well as advocacy and networking activities with various NGOs and private organizations.

Mission

1. To provide educational programs and interventions on gender, health, and development, as well as gender perspectives for the health sector
2. To serve as a research hub for gender-responsive basic, applied, and clinical research to shape gender-related national health policies
3. To lead in providing gender and development technical assistance and extension services, specifically those related to the health sciences, to the government, private sector, and civil society

Vision

The national leader in advocating for gender-responsive teaching, research, and extension in Health Sciences