Promoting gender equality and inclusive education through strengthened faculty competencies and partnerships
The University of the Cordilleras – College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (UC CONAHS) faculty members Ms. Iris Dela Cruz, Mr. Raffy Botilas, and Mr. Laudemar Luis represented the University in the Training of Trainers (TOT) on the Use of Gender-Responsive Assessment Tools in the Higher Education Sector, held on November 5–6, 2025, at Paragon Hotel, Baguio City.
Jointly organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the two-day training aimed to build faculty capacity for gender-responsive and inclusive teaching. Day 1 opened with a message from Dr. Jimmy Catanes, Director IV of CHEDRO CAR, who emphasized gender mainstreaming as a vital pillar of higher-education quality. Resource speaker Dr. Zenaida Quezada-Reyes, PCW Trainer and Consultant, led in-depth sessions on integrating gender perspectives into teaching and assessment, highlighting how inclusive frameworks promote fairness and empowerment in education.
Day 2 centered on interactive workshops and presentations, where participants applied the Gender-Responsive Assessment Tools (GRAT) scoring system and presented institutional action plans. Discussions explored how gender equity principles can be embedded in curriculum design, performance evaluation, and faculty mentoring. The closing message from Ms. Nharlene Santos-Millar, Executive Director of PCW, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among higher-education institutions in ensuring that education remains a driver of equality, empowerment, and sustainable development.
Participants reflected that the most valuable takeaways included a deeper understanding of gender-fair language, equitable assessment design, and the role of educators as advocates for inclusive learning—key elements in advancing quality education for all. These learnings reinforce UC CONAHS’s continuing commitment to promoting inclusive, equitable, and lifelong learning opportunities across the academic community.
Sustainable Development Goals Alignment
| Indicator | Description | Link to the Activity |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5.1 – End all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere | Promotes equality and inclusion by capacitating educators to design and evaluate non-biased, gender-responsive assessment tools. | Two-day CHED-PCW Training of Trainers on Gender-Responsive Assessment Tools. |
| SDG 4.7 – Ensure learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development | Develops faculty competencies in applying gender perspectives, fair language, and inclusivity to enhance learning quality and lifelong education. | Day 1 lectures and Day 2 workshops on gender-lens application, GRAT implementation, and reflective learning. |
| SDG 17.17 – Encourage effective partnerships for sustainable development | Strengthens collaboration among CHED, PCW, and higher-education institutions toward gender-responsive education. | Joint organization and facilitation of the national capacity-building training. |
