Lived Experiences of Barangay Council of Women Members on Gender and Development Initiatives Implementation

Abstract

This study employed a qualitative approach specifically phenomenology to explore and understand the lived experiences of Barangay Council of Women members on Gender and Development initiatives implementation. In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were conducted to gather the qualitative data. Through thematic analysis, the lived experiences of the participants were described according to the following themes: socio-cultural barriers, information dissemination gaps, budgetary implementation constraints, constrained local autonomy, women’s expanding capacities, knowledge sharing opportunities, and community-centered interventions. In addition, the following themes were generated as regards coping mechanisms of the participants, including adaptive engagement strategies, strategic resource management, participatory program evaluation, and resilient leadership commitment. Moreover, the following themes were extracted from the insights shared by the participants to the academe and the community: Gender and Development is a knowledge-driven empowerment, inclusive Gender and Development leadership practice, Gender and Development promotes confidence through enterprise, Gender and Development advances intergenerational gender awareness, and Gender and Development implementation requires collaborative institutional support.