Milestones The WeDpro Collective

n A trailblazing study on comprehensive bases conversion

program for alternative employment, livelihood,and human-
resource development for women in prostitution, supported by
STAFF & VOLUNTEERS WeDpro, Inc.
Alma. G. Bulawan
the Legislative-Executive Bases Council (LEBC).
Nancy Endrinal Parreño
n Secretariat to a 7-member organization on Trafficking in
Edna T. dela Cruz
Women under the Philippine Network Against Trafficking in
Irene Daguno
Women (PNATW), supported by the Government of Belgium.
Rowena P. Festin
n Towards a Gender Responsive Legislation and GAD Main-
Purificacion Gilbore
streaming. Drafting of the conceptual framework on legisla-
Rosalinda Mesina-dela Cruz
tive advocacy and gender used by the consortium of women’s
Lolita Santos
organizations for program interventions and policy advocacy.
Jazzfer Yadao
Supported by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino
Danicar Mariano
Women (NCRFW) and the Canadian International Develop-
ment Agency (CIDA).
n Lesbian Rights Advocacy including organizing the First National
Lesbian Rights Conference (FNLRC) in 1996. INFORMATION
n Organized the “Fifth International Meeting on Human Secu- RESOURCES STRATEGIST
rity and Development” in 2004 and continuing engagement TEAM
as convenor of the Philippine Women’s Network for Peace
and Security (PWNPS) Rhodora May Sumaray-Raras
n Action Research on Women on Death Row, in collaboration Diego Silang S. Maranan
with the Philippine Human Rights Center. Sandra B. Torrijos
n Administration of Gender and Democracy (South-South) Rolando F. Santos
Exposure Program for South African women on the issues of Alpha Gracias Allaniqui
electoral participation, coalition building, and the women’s Tala Abejo Nabong
movement
� Gender Workshops with SARILAYA, AKBAYAN Women’s Com-
mittee, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R
(Rural Women’s Coalition) and other POs and NGOs.
Aida F. Santos-Maranan

Our Partners and Networks BOARD of DIRECTORS

Ang Ladlad n Amnesty International-Philippine Section Aida F. Santos-Maranan

Chairperson
n Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) “ WeDpro and
Buklod Center, Inc. n Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) Rhodora May Sumaray-Raras
Secretary its volunteers are
n International Women’s Network Against Militarism n
Alexandrina B. Marcelo committed to build
LAGABLAB n Nagkakaisang Kababaihan ng Angeles City Treasurer
(NAGKA) n Pambansang Kongreso ng Kababaihan sa Ka- a truly sovereign,
nayunan (PKKK) / Rural Women’s Congress n Philippine Atty. Damcelle Torres-Cortes democratic and
Member
Committee - International Criminal Court (PC-ICC) n Philip- gender-fair society, where
Pauline S. Hortelano
pine Human Rights Center (PhilRights) n Philippine Women’s Member women are fully empowered,
Network for Peace and Security (PWNPS) n Sama-samang enjoying and participating in
Inisyatiba para sa Pagbabago ng Batas at Lipunan (SIBOL) protecting and promoting their human
n Task Force Subic Rape (TFSR) n Welga ng Kababaihan
n Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan n Women for Genuine Secu- POBox2985,QuezonCityCentralPostOffice,NIARoad,QuezonCity,Philippines rights towards genuine development and social
rity (USA) n Women Working Together to Stop Violence telefax: (+632) 4267479 n mobile: (+63) 919.347.30.09 transformation.”
e m a i l : admin@wedprophils.org n wedprophils1989@yahoo.com
Against Women (WWSTVAW) w e b : http://www.wedprophils.org n http://wedpro.multiply.com
 Established in 1989
Feminist Roots
The founders of WeDpro (founded on October 1989)
were members of the feminist collective Katipunan ng
Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan, popularly known as
KALAYAAN (founded 1983). WeDpro members have a
long history of being activists and feminists, whose in-
dividual and collective experience has made a mark
especially in the early years of the women’s libera-
tion movement. KALAYAAN was one of the very first
women’s organizations that took pride in its feminist
identity.
From KALAYAAN’s first call for upholding “women’s hu-
man rights” in the early 1980s, WeDpro picked up the
call and sustained this in its programs and activities.
As one of the formators of WeDpro said, “ We wanted
to test our feminist principles and fundamental philo-
sophical moorings in development work. “
The project “ Legislative Executive Bases Council
(LEBC) Comprehensive Bases Conversion Program,”
was the launching program for WeDpro, where it pro-
duced a milestone action report called “ Technical Re-
port on the Bases Conversion Program for Women
in the Cities of Angeles and Olongapo.” It addressed
the socio-economic plight of women in the prostitution
systems in the former US Military facilities in Clark Air
Base and Subic Naval Base, and developed alterna-
tive programs for the women after the bases left in 1991.
It initiated and supported the first cooperative organi-
zation of survivors of military prostitution in 1991 in
Angeles City.
WeDpro has since then redefined itself as a collec-
tive that seeks to serve as a dynamic catalyst within the
women’s movements and other social movements work-
ing for people-oriented, gender-fair programs and ser-
vices that ensures women’s empowerment.
Mission Statement
WHO WE ARE
WeDpro is committed to build a truly sovereign,
democratic and gender-fair society, where women
are fully empowered, enjoying and participating in
protecting and promoting their human rights towards
gender-responsive and rights based development
and social transformation.
WeDpro shall work towards creating and providing
an empowering environment for women and men
who shall work towards influencing gender-respon-
sive and rights-based development in Philippine
society, cognizant of the national, regional and in-
ternational contexts, and aimed at building solidar-
ity to advance gender equality, human rights
and social equity.
WeDpro, with our partners and networks, shall
initiate and engage in activities and projects
that promote gender equality and women’s
empowerment using our expertise in the
fields of research, ICT and media, educa-
tion and training, policy advocacy and
social movement building.
With its redefinition, WeDpro has been developing
a collective process of working together, ensuring
that women from our communities are given a voice
in decision making in an account- able and transpar-
ent way.
“WeDpro works towards creating and provid-
ing an empowering environment for women
as it influences development that is gender-
responsive and rights-based in a national,
regional and global setting of solidarity to
advance gender equality and social equity.”
The Collective
The Collective is composed of women and men who are:
n Catalyst for gender responsive rights based
change;
n Capable implementers of projects and activities
in the area of Research and Media, Education and
Training, Policy Advocacy, and Partnership Build-
ing;
n Empowered individual women in a collective for-
mation whose skills, knowledge and resource shall
ensure that human rights with a particular emphasis
on women’s human rights are addressed in all its ac-
tivities;
n Feminists who believe that transparency and ac-
countability are fundamentals in a feminist dialec-
tics of the personal is political;
n Committed not only to change society but
change themselves in a continuing search for
knowledge honing their skills because they
believe that education and empowerment are
continuing processes in nurturing our organi-
zational and personal lives.
“The organization also initiates and
engages in activities and projects that
promote gender equality and women’s
empowerment using their expertise in
the fields of Research and Media, Edu-
cation and Training, Policy Advocacy
and Partnership Building in collabora-
tion with POs, NGOs, LGUs, national,
regional and international organiza-
tions. “