In celebration of the National Women’s Month, the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries Gender and Development committee spearheaded a learning session on promoting anti-sexual harassment in the workplace on March 21, 2023 at Rm. 300 of UP ISSI building.
Ms. Janet E. De Leon, University Extension Specialist I from the Office of the Anti-Sexual Harassment (OASH) led the discussion and shared her insights on the topic.
Ms. De Leon’s lecture covered relevant topics including UP Anti-Sexual Harassment Code, forms of sexual harassment, procedures on filing cases, the Safe Spaces Act, and the Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 01-0940. The lecture was followed by an open forum.
During the opening remarks, UP ISSI Director Prof. Melanie Moraga-Leano shared a story which emphasized how women were silenced during her time in terms of gender-related harassment.
She also thanked the UP-ISSI GAD committee for organizing the learning session and expressed her hope that initiatives like this will further promote a more gender-sensitive and gender-responsive working environment in the Institute.
Before the session started, UP ISSI employees shared the highlights of their small group discussions which highlighted their existing knowledge on different forms of sexual harassment. Relevant concepts such as power relations, consent, violation, boundaries, sexism, and inappropriate touching were mentioned during their presentations.
“These are crucial times that we should use opportunities like this in amplifying our voices especially for our advocacy in creating more safe spaces for everyone,” said Mx. Jake Villanueva
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