ADPC celebrates International Women’s Day 2018 with a call for gender-inclusive risk reduction policies
ADPC celebrates International Women’s Day 2018 with a call for gender-inclusive risk reduction policies
12 Mar 2018
Bangkok, Thailand
ADPC staff gather to celebrate International Women's Day 2018.
As the world celebrated the achievements and contributions of women across the world for International Women’s Day (IWD), ADPC marked the day by launching the Gender and Diversity Working Committee (GDWC) in a full house event at its headquarter in Bangkok.
Female and male members of ADPC’s GDWC come from different ages, nationalities, backgrounds, and positions within the organization. ADPC’s GDWC will be instrumental in institutionalizing and mainstreaming humanitarian principles into the organization’s programmatic approach. It will also oversee and support the inclusion of gender and diversity considerations across ADPC’s projects and programs.
To fully engage with the tenets of IWD, ADPC staff shared their wishes, ideas, and questions on gender and diversity issues through a freedom wall session. Napapan Der Kinderen, Gender Specialist, ADPC, asked staff stimulating questions around gender inequalities perpetuated through cultural practices in different countries. The discussion covered issues such as unavailability of gender disaggregated data, menstruation as a taboo in some cultures, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and gender-based social inequalities, among other topics.
Mr. Hans Guttman (middle), Executive Director, and Mr. Aslam Perwaiz (right), Deputy Executive Director, ADPC, on IWD 2018.
Mr. Hans Guttman, Executive Director, and Mr. Aslam Perwaiz, Deputy Executive Director, ADPC, took part in the discussion and reaffirmed ADPC’s commitment to gender equality in the workplace, as well as in its operations.
“Apart from viewing gender equality as a rights issue, one of the most staggering misuse of resources is the inequity between men and women. This has been demonstrated again and again,” said Mr. Hans Guttman during his opening remarks for the day’s event.
In 2016, ADPC’s Strategy 2020 was revised to encompass cross-cutting themes that would be at the core of program design and implementation across departments. Themes include Poverty and Livelihoods, Regional and Transboundary Cooperation, and Gender and Diversity, which was the emphasis for the day.
Mr. Aslam Perwaiz is among the many proponents at ADPC for mainstreaming gender equality. “The Gender and Diversity Working Committee is a concrete mechanism that will help further ADPC’s vision with the Strategy 2020,” he said.
Discussion and planning for the IWD event was made possible by the leadership of ADPC’s women and support of men. While IWD is limited to one day of the year, action must be taken every day to press for progress. The event concluded with a promise to increase women friendly office spaces, an initiative led by many passionate women at ADPC.
Mr. Hans Guttman with the promise to increase women friendly office spaces.