UN Women and the Governance Commission for GOCCs Partner to Embed Gender Equality in Public Sector Governance
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Manila, Philippines — UN Women and the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) have formalized a landmark partnership that places gender equality at the centre of public-sector governance in the Philippines.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed at the United Nations Office in Mandaluyong City, marks the first government collaboration under the UN Women Gender Action Lab: Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific. The Lab, supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is a dynamic platform that promotes gender equality in business.
The Memorandum commits both organizations to advancing gender-responsive corporate governance across the country’s government-owned or -controlled corporation (GOCC) sector, recognizing its vital role in delivering public services and driving national development.
“This partnership is a bold move towards reimagining how public institutions serve people and drive transformation in the private sector. It signals a new era for public-sector governance, one where gender equality is no longer an afterthought but a foundation for inclusive and effective leadership”, said Ma. Rosalyn Mesina, Country Programme Coordinator, UN Women Philippines.
“Advancing gender equality in the GOCC sector is not just a moral obligation; it is a strategic imperative for strengthening good governance. When we empower diverse leadership and embed inclusive policies, we foster transparency, accountability and improved economic performance. This partnership with UN Women enhances gender-responsive corporate governance, creating long-term value and improving public service. The GCG believes that gender equality drives good governance”, said Atty. Geraldine Marie Berberabe-Martinez, Commissioner, Governance Commission for GOCCs.
In advancing gender equality in the private sector, UN Women leverages the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a globally recognized framework of seven principles that help guide the private sector to become gender-responsive across the entire value chain. Through the Gender Action Lab, UN Women and GCG will support GOCCs to assess and benchmark their current gender equality status and develop tailored, time-bound action plans. These plans will focus on several key areas, including inclusive recruitment, leadership development and gender-responsive procurement.
To support this process, UN Women will equip GOCCs on practical tools such as the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool, WEPs Action Planning Tool and WEPs Gender-Responsive Procurement Checklist. These initiatives align with the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2024–2028.
“Accelerating progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires everyone's action. This collaboration between UN Women and GCG exemplifies how UN system supports national priorities at scale by integrating gender equality into public-sector governance, we are advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and strengthening inclusive institutions, reducing inequalities and improving public service delivery for everyone in the Philippines", said Arnaud Peral, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines.
This partnership is expected to contribute meaningfully to the achievement of SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering inclusive leadership, reducing inequality and modernizing governance across the GOCC sector.
Media contact:
Antoinette Santos
Programme Analyst, Gender Action Lab
UN Women Philippines Presence Office
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Kirsten Nicole C. Tengco
Public Relations Officer IV, Strategy Management and Communications Division
Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG)
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About UN Women
UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.
About the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG)
The GCG is the central advisory, monitoring, and oversight body with authority over all GOCCs. It is tasked with promoting good governance and accelerating public sector reforms to make GOCCs more responsive to the needs of the public and contributory to the country's economic development.
What are the Women’s Empowerment Principles?
Established in 2010 by UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact, the WEPs are a set of seven principles offering guidance to businesses on how to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.
The WEPs provide private sector entities with a roadmap to become more gender-responsive throughout their value chains, underpinned by a strong emphasis on accountability and transparent progress reporting. More than 11,000 business leaders have joined as WEPs signatories globally, including nearly 3,000 members across the Asia-Pacific region. Visit: www.weps.org
About the Gender Action Lab
The UN Women Gender Action Lab: Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific, powered by the WEPs, is a dynamic action platform launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia and UN Women in Asia and the Pacific. The Gender Action Lab is envisioned as a long-term, multi-stakeholder and multi-donor platform across Asia and the Pacific, designed to galvanize efforts for gender-transformative action and impact in the private sector and to leverage innovation to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment and sustainable development in building more inclusive economies in the region. The Gender Action Lab will be implemented for an initial period of four years, with a particular focus on Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and activities extending across the broader ASEAN region.