Building a Future of Women Leaders in ASGM

PARACALE, CAMARINES NORTE – In mineral-rich communities like Paracale, Camarines Norte, known as “The Gold Town” the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector has become an integral source of livelihood for its people. 

Based on  planetGOLD Philippines’ gender study titled “Golden Opportunities: Gender Study on Increasing Women's Visibility, Access to, and Support for Work in the ASGM Communities”, the informal work opportunities  in ASGM enable  women to fulfill multiple roles  as income earners, household managers, and community managers. In Paracale, women miners are seen to play  significant roles including  leadership positions in their organizations.

In honor  of International Women’s Day, the planetGOLD Philippines–through its partnership with Camarines Norte State College (CNSC)–organized a two-day gender-responsive capacity-building session on leadership and organizational management skills on 7-8 March 2024. Approximately, 30 women miners from Paracale, Camarines Norte participated in the event

When asked on what the objective of the training is, Artisanal Gold Council Philippines-planetGOLD Philippines National Gender and Investment Specialist Meggy Katigbak emphasized the importance of giving safe avenues for women to upskill. “The leadership training is a precious moment for both the women miners from Paracale and the trainers from CNSC to exchange knowledge and discuss the importance of providing safe spaces for women to learn and hone their leadership skills.”

“By providing tailored training, women miners can develop the skills and confidence needed to assume leadership roles, fostering more inclusive and equitable decision-making processes. This not only empowers women within the sector but also promotes diversity, strengthens organizational effectiveness, and contributes to sustainable development in mining communities.” - Meggy Katigbak, National Gender and Investment Specialist

Officially opening the program is Hon. Councilor Megan Moreno of the Municipal Government of Paracale-Committee on Youth and Sports Development. In her message, she emphasized the importance of recognizing women as leaders and giving them opportunities to utilize their leadership skills.

Following Coun. Moreno, CNSC Director of Extension Services Division, Dr. Girly H. Naval took the lead in the discussions on the first day of training. She focused  organizational management, and  shared her expertise on the following topics:

• Review of Organizational Duties and Responsibilities (as stated in the Constitution and By-Laws, Samahan ng mga Minero sa Barangay Casalugan)
• Basic Tenets of Management and its Functions
• Organizational Procedures for Common Office Transactions

Meanwhile, Dr. Gehana D. Lamug, the Dean of CNSC-College of Business and Public Administration focused on women’s leadership on the second day of the training.  She shared her expertise on the following topics:

• Discovering Leadership Styles and Skills
• Creating and Promoting One’s Leadership Style
• Eight (8) Ways Women Can Become More Effective Leaders
• Discovering Negotiation Styles
• Women Negotiation Skills: How Women Can Get What They Want Through Negotiation
• Discovering Your Work-Life Balance Practices
• Winning Work-Life Balance

The Gender-Responsive Capacity-Building Training Session on Organizational Management and Leadership is one of the capacity building activities organized by planetGOLD Philippines in partnership with CNSC. This training session is a response to the Training Needs Assessment conducted by planetGOLD Philippines in 2021. The assessment provided baseline data on the gaps on capacities and priority training needs of male and female miners, as well as government partners actively involved in ASGM in the Minahang Bayan in Paracale.

_{The planetGOLD Philippines Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and executed by the Artisanal Gold Council.}

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