DepEd Gender Responsive Basic Education Policy

Legal bases/ Mandates

• 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1
• Republic Act (RA) No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW)
• RA 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
• Philippines’ International Human Rights Commitments to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) on 2016 found out that:

a) Boys are underperforming in key education indicators compared to girls.

b) Indigenous Peoples (IPs) fall behind in enrolment data and experience discrimination

c) Higher education degrees manifest marked gender-segregation.

d) Gender biases and stereotypes remain and are still embedded in the curricula, instructional methods, materials, and learning media.

e) Women and girls continue to be vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence inside schools.

2016 National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) show that:

a) There is a high prevalence of violence against children among both boys and girls and increasingly, more boys are becoming victims of sexual abuse than girls.

b) Sexual harassment is the most frequent form of sexual violence, with girls being particularly vulnerable. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are also at risk of sexual violence committed by their peers.

c) LGBT children are at a higher risk for physical and psychological bullying.

d) Children’s previous experiences of violence drive violent behavior in schools.

e) Despite the high prevalence of violence, disclosures are reported to be low. However, teachers are the most common persons children disclosed to and sought help from. As such, teachers and school personnel need to have appreciation and understanding of children’s rights.

This policy shall apply to all:

a) Officials and employees of the DepEd;

b) Officials and employees of private elementary, junior, and senior high schools; and

c) Learners of public and private elementary, junior, and senior high schools, and of learning centers for Special Education and Alternative Learning System (ALS) and laboratory schools of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs).

A. Mainstream Gender In all Policies and Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAs)

Learners Development

• Advocate gender equality in all aspects of development and ensure that PPAs are made congruent with this policy and are included in the Regional Education Development Plans (REDPs), Division Education Development Plans (DEDPs), School Improvement Plans (SIPs), and Annual Implementation Plans (AIPs).
• Include in the school calendar the observance and celebrations related to GAD such as but not limited to Women’s Month (March), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month (June), Breastfeeding Month (August), Peace Education Month (September), Children’s Month (November), 18-Day Campaign to End VAW (November 25 to December 12), and Human Rights Month (December).
• Support policies on curriculum, instruction, and assessment that are consistent with the principles of gender-responsive education.

Curriculum Standards

• Enhance and promote a K to 12 curriculum that integrates gender equality, human rights, sexuality, and reproductive health education, peace education, environmental studies, and child protection.
• Develop a set of GAD and human rights competencies including, but not limited to, core messages and key concepts such as responsible parenthood, equal opportunities, equal representation in public affairs (NGO, Bureaucracy, Electoral Politics, and Business), etc., to be integrated across learning areas and across grade levels.
• Ensure minimum standards on gender sensitivity that will be integrated in the subjects or learning areas, trainings, curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programs for learners and trainees.

Learning Delivery

• Ensure that all public and private schools, learning centers, including laboratory schools of SUCs and LCUs, shall maintain gender-responsive instructional delivery and services.
• Design gender-responsive models of instruction for basic education appropriate for all types of learners.
• Formulate enabling policies and guidelines for the implementation of gender-responsive innovative teaching and learning approaches and assessment models for basic education aligned with curriculum standards.
• Provide technical assistance to the field offices in the adoption or modification of gender-responsive learning models and strategies.

Learning Resources

1. Develop and provide gender-responsive Learning Resources (LRs) based on the review and revision programs, curriculum, social content guidelines, and other references to ensure that LRs are free from gender biases and stereotypes, and use gender-fair and inclusive language, positive images, and messages.

2. Ensure that writers, editors, evaluators, layout artists, illustrators, and focal persons of LRs are well-trained on gender-responsiveness, sexuality, and reproductive health education, human rights, and peace education.

3. Provide orientation for prospective publishing and development teams to emphasize the inclusion of GAD key concepts and core messages in learning resource development.

4. Provide GAD learning resources.

5. Update the guidelines in the Development of Learning Resources by:

6. Ensure that learning resources procured from external sources comply with GAD key concepts and core messages.

7. Update and align the quality assurance of the learning resources, evaluation instruments, and instructional materials to include gender concepts, values, and gender-fair language.

8. Gather and upload quality-assured GAD learners, and teachers’ resources to the DepEd Learning Resources Portal.

9. Ensure that field offices shall implement contextualized, localized, and indigenized learning resources integrating GAD core messages and key concepts.

Assessment

• Ensure that formative and summative assessments at the school level and any competitions (e.g., contests, quiz bees) at any level are gender-responsive and culture-sensitive for all learners, teachers, and other concerned personnel.
• Include GAD core messages and key concepts in the test development process specifically in the table of specifications as integrated in the learning competencies using gender-fair language.
• Conduct a GAD orientation for test-item writers to ensure educational assessments are GRBE-compliant in terms of content and procedures.
• Enjoin all public and private accrediting institutions or organizations to include gender-equality elements in their accreditation criteria.

B. Ensure gender parity in staffing and create an enabling work environment

Human Resource Development

• Formulate, recommend, and implement policies and frameworks consistent with the principles of gender-responsive recruitment, selection, and placement, learning and development, performance management, and rewards and recognition.
• Conduct capacity building for all employees on GRBE and in handling gender issues and concerns.
• Create a pool of GRBE experts.
• Ensure that the implementation of the Results-based Performance Management System (RPMS) is gender-responsive.

Employee Welfare

• Ensure that programs that inculcate and sustain the department core values, respond to employees’ varied needs, and promote employees’ physical, mental, psychological, social and spiritual well-being are gender-responsive.
• Ensure that institutional rewards and recognition systems are gender-responsive.
• Ensure implementation of the grant of special leaves as provided by law, which include but are not limited to maternity, paternity, solo parent, gynecological, and VAWC.
• Ensure enforcement of public and private schools’ implementation of and compliance to RA No. 9710, Sec. 13. C on the non-firing of employees on account of pregnancies outside of marriage.

C. Strengthen gender and development institutional mechanisms

As mandated under Section 36 (a) of RA No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, the DepEd shall prepare an annual GAD plan and budget (GPB) to address gender issues and concerns and shall be charged to at least 5 percent (5%) if the Maintenance and Other operating Expenses (MOOE) subject to its utilization guidelines.