The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office MIMAROPA, through the Capacity Building Section (CBS), trained 55 social workers from the region on Gender-Responsive Case Management (GRCM) held at the Makati Palace Hotel from November 7-11, 2022.

Attended by the provincial, municipal and city social workers from  Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, the case management training aims to increase the participants’ awareness on gender roles and identity, gender-based assessment, and tools for the assessment such as Gender Violence Survivor Assessment Tool (GVSA), Interdisciplinary Gender Assessment Tool (IDGA) and Domestic Violence Survivor Assessment Tool (DVSA).

The pool of speakers for the training included Ms. Miramelinda O. Leuterio, Mr. Patrick Yeoj Peraz, and Ms. Elaine Satira all from the DSWD. It was facilitated by Ms. Angelyn S. Agundo and Ms. Valerie Jayne A. Jingco of the CBS.

The training, which had five modules, taught the participants how language reinforces gender stereotypes, inequalities and marginalization; hence, the imperative to use gender fair and empowering language in oral and written communication in dealing with client and preparing the assessment report.

Moreover, the training demonstrated the difference a gender perspective makes in social work case management especially in managing cases of violence against women and how the principles of GRCM can be operationalized. The training encouraged the participants to commit to the use of gender as a perspective and analytic lens in professional practice.