The Path Towards an Anti-Discrimination Law: A Regional Conference on Issues, Challenges, and Strategies

Last 11 June 2024, the University of the Philippines College of Law Gender Law and Policy Program (UP GLPP), in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF), held a national conference entitled, The Path Towards an Anti-Discrimination Law: A Regional Conference on Issues, Challenges, and Strategies, at Novotel Manila Araneta City. The national conference was the last of the three conferences that UP GLPP was set to conduct for the then-ongoing EMERGE Project with TAF.

Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, Hon. Geraldine Roman, and Hon. Sarah Jane Elago graced the event as panelists, together with Fr. Jerome Secillano from CBCP, Jap Ignacio from Lagablab Network, Dr. Tesa De Vela from Miriam College Women and Gender Institute, Dr. Mira Alexia P. Ofreneo from Ateneo de Manila University’s Gender Hub, and other representatives from the diverse sectors of civic organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions.

The national conference was a culminating event for the EMERGE project, having conducted focus group discussions (FGD) conducted with local government units and civic organizations from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and two regional conferences for NCR and the Greater Luzon Area held at UP Diliman, Quezon City and for Visayas-Mindanao at UP Visayas, Iloilo City. As a consolidating event, the conference created a productive and instructive discussion that highlighted local initiatives and advocacy efforts to craft a strategic agenda towards the passage of the national SOGIESC Equality Act or the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law.

Panelists and participants came from all over the Philippines to share perspectives on the state of the legal landscape; the application of the best practices and solutions from regional ADOs to the national perspective; the SOGIESC and intersectionality; and the creation of a nuanced strategy to the passage of the SOGIESC Equality Act.