Written by Christian John Calimbas, ACTS  

Recognizing women’s participation in the peace process is an integral part of advancing the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda in the country. 

PH’s Women’s Budget Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman led the thematic session on financing strategies for WPS initiatives in the recently concluded International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS) held at PICC, Manila last October 28-30, 2024.  

She stressed that allocating government financial resources to the right priorities can help ensure that the implementation of the National Action Plan on WPS (NAPWPS) would be equitable for everyone.  

In 1995, the DBM crafted the ‘Women’s Budget’ to promote gender-responsive budgeting in the bureaucracy. This mechanism mandates all government agencies to allocate at least five percent of their annual budget to implement programs and projects that address gender issues and promote women’s empowerment.  

“Based on the latest PCW Gender and Development (GAD) Budget Report, 16.68 percent of the entire National Budget last year was allocated for GAD, amounting to Php 888.24 billion or USD 15.58 billion,” Secretary Pangandaman proudly shared in her speech.  

Australia’s Gender Lens 

Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador for Gender Equality Stephanie Copus Campbell spoke about their country’s best practices in mainstreaming WPS. She highlighted the importance of gender equality as the number one predictor of peace. 

“The first thing that we all need to commit to is ensuring [that] in everything that we do, we are mainstreaming gender equality,” Ambassador Campbell said.  

To expand Australia’s gender lens, Ambassador Campbell shared the significance of the appointment of Minister Katy Gallagher, a lady senator, in both the Ministry of Women and Ministry of Finance so that “gender mainstreaming immediately happens in the national budget”.  

Breaking the Silence 

Sharing her expertise in leading a civil society organization (CSO) in a war-torn country, HIAS Ukraine Country Director María José Gómez González provided insights on the challenges and struggles on the ground.  

Citing a report from Refugees International, Director Gómez shared that only 0.07% of the USD 11.1 billion Humanitarian Fund to Ukraine has gone directly to Ukranian organizations, and there is no data available on how much of this funding went to women-led organizations.  

“We need to understand that in Ukraine, we have a unique situation that requires to rethink budgeting,” Director Gómez emphasized. Further, she encouraged the delegates to ‘break the silence’ by creating mechanisms to amplify the voices of women in the peace process.  

Ending her discussion, Director Gómez reminded the delegates that “women don’t want a world with war, but if war exists, we demand our voice in the process of ending them”.  

Women as peace agents  

Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla underscored the integration of WPS initiatives in the GAD Plan, GAD Budget, and GAD Accomplishment Report. 

“If you have a GAD plan and you don’t have a GAD budget, that is a joke. If you have a GAD budget but you do not have a GAD plan, that is a disaster. And if you have a GAD Budget and GAD Plan but no report, that’s malversation,” the Chairperson explained.  

Sharing the importance of funding women empowerment programs, Chairperson Valdeavilla emphasized that “women should not only be seen as beneficiaries [as] they are powerful agents of change who must be actively involved as participants and leaders in peace and security processes”.  

Forging Convergence and Collaboration  

In her closing statement, Secretary Pangandaman expressed her gratitude for the collaboration between the speakers and delegates in inspiring women and the youth. She highlighted the significance of sharing innovative financing strategies to support the WPS agenda, underscoring its importance in fostering inclusive and sustainable development. “I am lucky that the President appointed me here—someone who’s a minority and to have been given a chance to have a voice in the national government. Rest assured that [as the Secretary of] DBM, we will make sure that the WPS agenda will succeed,” Secretary Pangandaman said.  

Bringing together 1,730 participants across 75 countries, composed of Foreign Ministers, Vice Ministers, CSO representatives, the academe, and other stakeholders, the conference served as a platform to share best practices in evaluating and assessing the progress in implementing the WPS agenda. The successful conduct of the three-day International Conference on WPS was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), PCW, and the DBM, and supported by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), UN Women, and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR).