What is Gender and Development (GAD)?

• GAD is a development perspective and process that are participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to transform society’s social, economic, and political structures and questions the validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; contends that women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of development assistance; and stress the need of women to organize themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights.
• Women and men have different development needs and interests, which is institutionalized and perpetuated by cultural, social, economic and political norms, systems and structures.

Gender and Development (GAD) in the Philippines is anchored on constitutional equality and mandated by key laws like the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), which compels government agencies to mainstream gender perspectives and allocate at least 5% of their budget to GAD programs. Essential laws include the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313), Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (RA 9262), and 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law (RA 11210).