GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Short Title

This School Order shall be known as the “DCPNHS GAD Policy”
Section 2 – Statement of Policy
Pursuant to the 1987 Philippine Constitution Article II, Section 14 The State recognizes the role of women in nation-
building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men (Article II, Section 14).
Republic Act No. 7192 (1992) Women in Development and Nation Building Act – promotes the integration of
women as full equal partners of men in development and nation-building.
Republic Act No. 9710 (2009) Magna Carta of Women – The local adaptation of the UN CEDAW; requires: i) all
government departments to ensure that women benefit equally and participate directly in the development programs and
projects; ii) that GAD Programs addressing gender issues and concerns shall be designed and implemented based on the
mandate of National Government Agencies and Local Government Units.

In reference to DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2017 or better known as Gender-Responsive Basic Education Policy, the
Department of Education (DepEd) issues the enclosed Gender-Responsive Basic Education Policy in line with its
Gender and Development (GAD) mandate as stipulated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Republic Act (RA) No. 9710
or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), RA 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, and the 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), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) among others.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines supports the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, which envisions
an inclusive ASEAN that works toward the achievement of gender equality and the elimination of all forms of
discrimination and addresses the intersectionality of women’s discrimination. The Blueprint aims to protect and empower
women, children, youth, the elderly, persons with disability (PWDs), ethnic minority groups, and other vulnerable and
marginalized groups.
 That the DepEd should adhere to such a standard is timely given the shift in the gender patterns in basic education
indicators in the Philippines. From 1996 to 2012, boys outnumbered girls at the elementary level while at the secondary
level, the opposite was true, with girls outnumbering boys. In the same period, girls outperformed boys in all key
indicators, particularly in cohort survival rate and completion rate (NEDA & UNDP 2014).

The Women’s Empowerment, Development, and Gender Equality (Women’s EDGE) Plan 2013-2016 (Chapter 6:
Education) published by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) summed up the enduring gender issues in
Philippine education as follows:
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.

This policy seeks to enable the DepEd to undertake gender-mainstreaming in education to address both enduring
and emerging gender and sexuality-related issues in basic education, to promote the protection of children from all forms
of gender-related violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination, and bullying, and to promote gender equality and non-
discrimination in the workplace and within the DepEd. (DepEd Order no. 32, s. 2017)

Section 3 – Definition of Terms

A. Disability – refers to a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major
life activities. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a
disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.

B. Discrimination – the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of
race, age or sex.
C. Equality – It is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and
talents. It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where
they come from, what they believe or whether they have a disability.

D. Gender – refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes
norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy as well as relationships with each
other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.

E. Gender Equality – the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender. It’s not only women
who are affected by gender inequality – all genders are impacted, including men, trans and gender-diverse people.
This in turn impacts children and families and people of all ages and background.

F. Gender and Development - refers to the development perspective and process that are participatory and
empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence , respectful of human rights, supportive of self-
determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value
that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to transform society’s social, economic and political
structures and questions the validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; contends that women
are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of development assistance; and stresses the need
of women to organize themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights. (Republic
Act No. 9710 An Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Women, Chapter II)

G. Social inclusion – It is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society –
improving the ability, opportunity and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.