In addressing these issues, the DSWP uses the rights-based approach & implements the following interrelated & interfacing core programs and strategies:
1. Organizing & Consolidation Program (OCP) DSWP’s organizing efforts are geared toward the establishment, strengthening and consolidation of women’s organizations particularly in poor urban and rural communities, as well as women in marginalized societal sectors. This way, sectoral, class and geographic issues are addresses alongside national and gender-related ones.
2. Education & Training Program (ETP) Through the years, the DSWP has developed a comprehensive education program. The federation specializes in the conceptualization, design and implementation of various education activities using participatory and popularized methodologies, strategies and learning exercises.
To date, the following are included in the DSWP’s education program:
- Consciousness-raising & Orientation
- Basic Gender Sensitivity Seminar for Women (BGSS)
- Basic Gender Sensitivity Workshop for Men (GSM)
- Basic Orientation on Women’s Political Participation (WPP)
- Seminar on Local Government Code (SLGC)
- Laws, Policies and Programs for Women Workers Seminar (LPWS)
- Women and the Party List Law Seminar (WPLS)
- Basic Orientation on Women and Work (OWW)
- Seminar on Women and Trade Unionism (WTU)
- Seminar on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
- Seminar on Violence Against Women (SVAW)
- Seminar on Women & Globalization (SWG)
- Voters’ Education Seminar (VES)
- Orientation on the Anti-Rape law (OARL)
- Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Law Orientation (VAWCLO)
- Cooperative Organizing Orientation (COO)
Capability Building & Skills Development
- Speakers’ Training (ST)
- Training of Trainers (TT)
- Advocacy Skills Training (LST)
- Training on Resource Management and Accessing (TRMA)
- Basic Financial Management and Book Keeping Seminar (BFMS)
- Information, Education and Communications MAterial Development Seminar (IEC-MDS)
- Organizational Development and Management Training (ODMT)
- Project Proposal Making Seminar (PPMS)
- Training on Peer Education and Counseling on Young Women’s SRHR (TPEC-SRHR)
- Crash Course on Public Speaking (CCPS)
The DSWP also develops and produces information and education materials such as information packages on specific issues; comics; advocacy materials and newsletters.
3. Advocacy & Networking Program (ANP) The ANP is premised on the principle that there is strength in numbers. ANP is done at various leves, local, national and international to address issues important to DSWP and its local chapter organizations.
At the local level, the DSWP conducts activities and campaigns consistent with its national advocacies. However, beyond national issues, local issues are likewise addresses based on the needs of member organizations in the concerned area/s. Some local advocacies are:
Local Government Code (LGC) implementation especially for NGO and women’s participation in local governance;
Gender and Development (GAD) Budget law implementation;
Campaigns in support of women and girls victims and/or survivors of violence;
Protection of and programs for women in the informal sectors; and
Young women’s access to reproductive health information and services.
DSWP is able to mobilize grassroots and community-based women from among its chapters in relation with its advocacy work. Also, the federation enjoys credibility among select legislators as it is often called upon to participate in meetings of committees in Congress processing women-related legislative proposals.
At the international level, DSWP participates in international conferences relevant to women and the federation’s priority issues. The DSWP is a member of the Socialist International Women (SIW).
As part of ANP, the DSWP conducts forums on current political, social, economic and cultural issues. Community-based study sessions and education activities on these issues are likewise implemented to keep community groups abreast with national developments and issues.
4. Technical Assistance & Direct Service Program (TADSP) This program is borne out of the reality that DSWP members belong to the poorest of the poor in society. TADSP is focused on:
- Helping chapter organizations access resources for their own projects;
- Directly helping them in other urgent problems;
- Assisting them through a referral system at times when services needed by specific members are not provided by DSWP;
- Directly supporting women and girls victims/survivors of violence and abuse through a small fund that the federation has put up for this purpose;
- Providing livelihood loans for women through its Livelihood Revolving Fund (LRF); and
- Increasing poor women’s access to social protection through micro-insurance scheme.
5. Organizational Sustainability Program (OSP) This program is based on the DSWP’s vision of becoming a self-sustaining organizations. The program is about developing and implementing a revenue-generating scheme based on the federation’s marketable strengths. It is hoped that revenues from this program will eventually be able to support DSWP activities and lessen the federation’s dependence on outside funding.
Project Implementation
Since its establishment, the DSWP has implemented a number of projects with support from various partner organizations, institutions and development agencies. DSWP enjoys a credible track record in project implementation and management and has received support for the following:
Livelihood and Education:
- Establishment of a Rice Trading Program for Peasant Women in Guimaras (Visayas);
- Fish Production and Trading Project by Women Fisherfolks in Southern Tagalog (Luzon);
- Credit Program for Ambulant Vendors in Mariveles, Bataan;
- Establishment of a Small Scale Garments Factory for Poor Rural Women (Bataan);
- Livelihood Revolving Fund Project for Poor Women (Luzon);
- Small-Scale Livelihood Revolving Fund for Women in Payatas Dumpsite.
Organizing, Advocacy, Education & Training
- Search for Women Community Leaders Projects (National);
- National Consultations on Women’s SRHR Towards Legislative Advocacy (National);
- Increasing Participation of Grassroots Women Leaders in Local Governance;
- Information Campaign on the Party List Law (National);
- Case Study on Women’s Political Participation (National);
- Implementation of Forums on Women’s Issues;
- Focus Group Discussions on Women’s SRHR (National);
- Informance on VAW Among Urban Poor Communities in Caloocan City (Metro Manila); Partner: Women’s Crisis Center, Inc.;
- Rights-based Approach in Organizing Young Women on SRHR (Luzon);
- Increasing Young Women’s Capability on and Access to Information on SRHR (Visayas & Mindanao)
- Organizational Effectiveness Program;
- Publication of books; “Feminism for Beginners”;
- pilot Project on Organizing and Capacity Building of Women in the Informal Sector in Politics (National);
- Pilot Project on Mapping a Comprehensive, Rights-Based and Gender-Sensitive Framework to Address Child Labor in the Philippines (National);
- Empowering Women in the Informal Sectors in the Philippines, Phase 2.