Feminist Literacy and Numeracy – A Path to Empowerment for Grassroots Women: The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR)

July 23, 2013 by cindycatz: occasional pianist and coffee shop philosopher 2 Comments

The Center for Women’s Resources was founded in 1982, within the period of the Marcos dictatorship and martial rule – a period that had been marked with social and political unrest, an unstable economic condition and civil and political repression. During this time, many women actively involved and engaged themselves in the Oust Marcos Movement.

with the Center for Women’s Resources at the One Billion Rising campaign on February 14, 2013 (Tomas Morato)

The CWR was born of the womb of women’s struggle for liberation. It had an active involvement in various political and social movements and recognized the need to document and consolidate women’s experiences and stories of courage and militancy and  to put into writing the struggles and stories of sufferings that women have to endure at a time of repression and oppression. The organization empowers women through education work, part of which is production of modules for women. It produces modules on Women’s Orientation and helps in the consolidation of data and experiences of women in the context of an intensifying repression.

The CWR assisted in facilitating the birth of yet another organization that will play a major role in the history of the women’s movement in the Philippines – GABRIELA (1984). It also paved the way for the formation of SAMAKANA (Samahan ng Malayang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa), a national organization of women in the urban poor communities.

CWR’s Mission

• —  To promote full participation of Filipino women in the genuine development of Philippine society;
• —  To respond to the specific needs of women from different sectors, particularly the grassroots women by working with institutions, community and voluntary groups concerned with programs for people’s development.
• —  To popularize knowledge on women and development through research and publications in order to effect change in the consciousness of the larger public; and
• —  To promote growth and consolidation of regional women’s centers and sectoral women organizations.

Programs and Services

• Education and Training
  • coordinates the “Paaralang Lisa Balando” (PLB), an education training school for women in the grassroots
  • develops education modules and manuals and training aids
  • conducts instructor trainings, seminars and discussion groups on women’s conditions and issues.
  • convenes the inter-organizational educators consultation
  • coordinates the annual education campaign for March 8, the International Women’s Day.

• Advocacy and Publication
  • Ensures that its research is packaged, printed and disseminated in popular forms
  • Organizes a yearly ULAT LILA forum on women’s situations
  • Produces various publications such as Piglas Diwa,   Usaping Lila, Ulat Lila and Marso 8.

• Research and Data Bank
  • conducts participatory research and surveys on women’s conditions in the different sectors and areas
  • gathers  macro and micro data on sectoral, national, and global developments and issues affecting women.
  • consolidates data gathered to produce studies and situationers on women, which are released in the Center’s various publications.

Partners

The organization serves grassroots women – peasants, workers, urban poor and professionals and students whom they also encourage and mobilize to help them in their advocacy work.

Next: CWR Activities from November 2012 to March 2013

Related articles

• How to Get More Women (and Men) to Call Themselves Feminists (theatlantic.com)
• Female Empowerment and Financial Independence (projecteve.com)
• e-WAVES Issue #1 : My Favourite Feminist (ewavesawam.wordpress.com)
• Resources on International Women’s Issues | www2.stkate.edu (womensphilanthropy.typepad.com)