MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The Marawi Response Project has expanded economic opportunities for both women and youth displaced by the 2017 Marawi siege and their host communities.
During the "Women Summit: Stories of Healing, Organizing, Participation, and Empowerment (HOPE)" organized by Plan International Philippines, MRP Chief of Party Marlon Libot highlighted the gains of the project in empowering women and youth to become self-reliant.
"In MRP, we always strive to include women because this is a right and is fundamental to achieving gender equality," he said.
Libot shared that 68% of the project's training participants were women. Moreover, they have organized various community solidarity groups (CSGs) that are mostly led by women.
"We are also successful in forming six women federations comprised of our CSGs in six municipalities with the intention of them representing their sector in local and special bodies where they can push their agenda," he said.
The MRP Chief of Party stressed that they targeted women to build their skills and capacities, equip them with tools for their advocacies, and provide spaces to empower them so that they can in turn empower other women.
13 of these women were able to share their struggles, experiences, hopes, and success during the summit.
"We delved into peace promotion initiatives in Baloi with the project RINAWareness. It helps us strengthen positive connections all over the town. I have never seen more girls and women joining advocacy works before but we have been growing in number since we started," said Norjehan Dimacangun, a member of the Salimbago Youth Volunteers Alliance from the municipality of Baloi.
The youth leader said through their community champions, they were able to go further by creating safe spaces for youth development.
"Girls and women have the capacity to move boundaries and make change happen," she further stated.
For Sumayyah Abdulnasser, the MRP has helped her regain stability after being displaced by the armed conflict in Butig followed by the Marawi siege in 2017.
Sumayyah and her CSG received sewing machines and fabrics from the project.
"Magandang opportunity na nakakuha kami [ng makina] kasi yung mga anak namin ay matututo ring magtahi," she said.
[It's a good opportunity that we got machines because our children will also be able to learn sewing.]
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID, the MRP seeks to improve economic conditions and strengthen community cohesion among displaced persons and their host communities in Marawi and neighboring areas.
It is implemented by Plan International Philippines together with their local partners, Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits and the Maranao People Development Center, Inc. (APB/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
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| USAID and Plan International Phils provide a stage for youth to highlight their contributions to uplift themselves, their families, and their community under the Marawi Response Project. (PIA Lanao del Sur) |
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