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Regional Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Leadership Summit
Online Alumni Knowledge Sharing Series
July 28-30, 2021 • 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM PHT • Zoom
The Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program in the Philippines (AAAEP-P) is proud to host the 2021 Regional Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Leadership Summit with the theme "Breaking Barriers: Working Together Towards Inclusive Recovery."
The Regional GEDSI Leadership Summit aims to support the steadfast and ongoing commitment of the Australian Government to promote gender equality and women empowerment as a means to contribute to growth, peace and security, development and stability. This initiative shall bring together around 400 alumni across key sectors in the Philippines and other Australia Awards programs in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss key issues on GEDSI and share best practices towards this advocacy. It is envisioned that participants will be able to develop an action plan to collaborate across the Indo-Pacific region in addressing the challenges faced by women, indigenous
people, LGBTQIA and people with disabilities from achieving their full potential.
Event details
The three half-day virtual Regional GEDSI Leadership Summit will be held on 28 - 30 July 2021. Before the actual event, interactive content will be available through Howspace, the online collaboration platform to be used for the conference. These will include the Social Impact Exhibit and the Virtual Institutional Visits of alumni-led programs supporting GEDSI.
Plenary and Concurrent Session
The program will feature a series of talks from alumni and subject matter experts including panel discussion and workshop sessions:
Keynote Address
Partnerships for Recovery: Regional Agenda for Inclusive and Sustainable Development
The Role of Women in the 4th Industrial Revolution
Panel Forum
Equity and Equality: Leadership Journey Towards Social Inclusion
Concurrent Sessions
Breakout sessions on sectoral themes and issues on GEDSI
Virtual Intitutional visit and social impact exhibit
1. Virtual Institutional Visit
A unique component of the Regional GEDSI Leadership Summit is a virtual institutional visit that will provide an interactive learning experience with staunch alumni advocates from Indo-Pacific at the forefront of GEDSI advocacy. The sessions will be scheduled within one week before the actual Summit and comprise a virtual walkthrough of the organisations and projects through pre-produced videos.
2. Social Impact Exhibit
A photo exhibit of alumni projects and enterprises which benefit women, PWDs and marginalised sectors will also be featured online in Howspace. These may include alumni-owned or Embassy-supported and Alumni Grant Scheme projects.
Speakers - Day 1
H.E Steven J. Robinson AO
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines
Mr Robinson is a Deputy Secretary-level officer from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who presented his credentials to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 15 January 2019.
Over his extensive career, Mr Robinson has developed and expanded Australia's relationships with a broad range of countries, with a particular focus on the South East Asian region. He has served in Australia's embassies in Jakarta, Yangon and Bangkok and has held a range of senior postions in Canberra across operational and corporate areas.
In 2009, Mr Robinson was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for service to Australia's international interests through a significant and sustained contribution".
H.E Julie-Ann Guivarra
Keynote Speaker
Ms Guivarra is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she served most recently as Australia's Ambassador to th Kingdom of Spain, Andorra and Equitorial Guinea. In this role Ms Guivarra became Australia's first female indigenous Ambassador. Prior to that appointment she served as Australia's lead services negotiator for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) while she was Assistant Secretary of the South East Asia Investment & Services Branch. She has multilateral experience, serving as the Counsellor (Agriculture) in the World Trade Organisation.
She has published on trade issues: "WTO accession negotiations: trends and results in agriculture plurilaterals", WTO Accessions and Trade Multilateralism: Case Studies and Lessons from the WTO at Twenty (2015). Her overseas postings include New Delhi, Geneva and Madrid and in Canberra she has also served as the Assistant Secretary of the South East Asia Analytical and Effectiveness Branch.
Rodora Turalde-Babaran
Concurrent Session Speaker
Ms Rodora Turalde-Babaran has been the Director of Human Development, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department of the ASEAN Secretariat from September 2014. Ms Rodora is responsible for managing the overall,multifaceted operations of the Human Development Directorate under which are the four divisions namely, Health Division, Education, Youth and Sports Division, Labour and Civil Service Division, and the Poverty Eradication and Gender Division.
Angie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and is a Gallup-Certified Strengths coach and a NLP practitioner.
Archill Niña Capistrano
Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Children's Legal Bureau Coordinator, Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment, University of the Philippines - Cebu
Arch also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Children's Legal Bureau Inc., a longstanding pro-women and pro-children non-governmental organization in Cebu. She earned her Bachelor of Arts major in Political Science degree (magna cum laude) at the University of San Carlos (USC) in 1996 and proceeded to complete her Bachelor of Laws degree in the same university in 2000.
She designed the first A.B. Political Science International Relations and Foreign Service specialization course offered by the Department of Political Science, School of Law and Governance of USC where she priviouslyworked as faculty member. Archill is also a member of the Philippine Bar and a lifetime member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Cebu City Chapter.
Dr Dennis Alonzo
Bachelor of Education Program Director, School of Education, University of New South Wales Sydney
Dennis is a test and scale developer, program evaluator, curriculum designer, and applied statistician. His area of interest revolves around Assessment for Learning (AFL) particularly in supporting teachers to make highly contextualised, consistent, fair and trusworthy assessment decisions to effectively support student learning.
He also researches on a board range of topics including student IT experiences, blended and online learning,standards-based assessment, equity and gifted education, learning analytics to help inform curriculum design, professional development and policy, and data-driven mining systems for optimum social performance.
Michelle Lacia
Lecturer in Mathematics, Statistics and Assessment of Learning, Notre Dame University, Cotabato City
Michelle is a lecturer both in the undergraduate and graduate school at Notre Dame University, Philippines. Her areas of specialization include Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Statistics, Assessment, and Curriculum in Mathematics. Her research interest involves teaching and assessment practices of mathematics teachers, factors affecting students' performance, problem-solving skills in mathematics, test and scales validity, and test standardization process.
Michelle is also a developer of different learning materials and course packs in mathematics, and training modules for teachers' effectiveness and competencies enhancement. She's currently involved in a module writing project on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. She also participates in different research endeavours including the multinational research project on "Trust in Algorithms".
Mariel Bayangos
Policy Analyst,Department of Education
Mariel is the division chief of the Policy Research and Development Division. She leads the establishment and strengthening of standards and systems on policy development, research management and monitoring and evaluation at the Department of Education. Part of her contribution is the advancing of participatory approach and use of evidence in the policy development process.
Her interests revolve around children participation in governance, teacher agency, risk resilience, school governance, policy advocacy and assessment. Her ongoing work includes affirming the role of education stakeholders in improving the implementation and assessment of education policies, strengthening partnership with research institutions and other government agencies to capture education policy issues in their respective research agenda and translation of education outcomes to program and policy design.
Mercy Masta
Co-founder of the PNG Youth Alliance on HIV and AIDS (YAHA); Board Director, Equal Playing Field
Graduated with a Master of Development and Gender Studies from the University of Melbourne (2012-2014) and has worked in variousDFAT programs including at Post and most recently with Pacific WomenShaping Pacific Developmentas Program Manager. She is currently undertaking a doctoral research on contemporary masculinities that are negotiated, (re)constructed or contested among men in the Pacific region.
Mercy has over 10 years of experience as a development practitioner and hasworked and volunteered in various areas including Health, HIV/AIDS, Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment & Rights, and Youth and Adolescent participation and development.
Sri Safitri
DEVP of Customer Experience & Digitalisation; Chief Digital Business Office of Telkom Indonesia
Sri is a leadership expert who delivers high-energy presentations that challenge audiences to leverage their focus and pay attention to what matters most at work and in life. She spoke in many international forums including Telco AI Summit Europe in London, Telcom Multimedia Forum Digital transformation World in France, Digital World Summit in Singapore, and other international forums and summits in Brunei, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Sri has been awarded a number of prizes and honours such as the Top Global CX Leaders 2020, Executive Award in 2018, Women Leadership Award in 2017, and Most Influential Brand Leaders Award in 2016.
Jose Decolongon
COO and Head of Corporate Foresight, Embiggen Consulting; Professor of Future Thinking and Strategic Management, Asian Institute of Management
Jose is a futurist and the pioneer of corporate foresight in the Philippines. His domain of interest include the future of work, the future of corporate innovation, and the intersection of foresight and innovation. He has two decades of international experience in a Swiss multinational organization where led local to global business improvement and strategic transformation initiatives acress the Asia Pacific and Europe.
He is an Australia Awards Scholar and completed his Master of Supply Chain Innovation degree from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
Nathaniel "Dinky" Von Einsiedel
Principal Urban Planner, CONCEP Inc.
An Architect and an Environmental Planner, and is accredited by the United Nations, World Bank and Asian Development Bank as an Urban Development & Management Specialist.
He obtained his BS in Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines, his MS in Urban Planning from Columbia University in New York, and his PhD in Development Management from Pacific Western University in Hawaii. He has been elevated to the status of Fellow of both the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP).
In 2008, the Philippine Federation of Professional Organizations conferred upon him the Professional Excellence Award. He was also awarded by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) as Outstanding Environmental Planner in 2012. He now leads his own consulting firm, CONCEP, as its Principal Urban Planner.
Speakers - Day 2
Dr Julia Newton-Howes AM
Keynote Speaker
Dr Julia Newton-Howes AM is the CEO of Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government that seeks to catalyse inclusive economic growth in South East Asia through women’s economic empowerment. Investing in Women operates in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
SBefore joining IW, Julia was CEO of CARE Australia, one of Australia’s largest humanitarian and development organisations. She has also held various senior positions in international development, including at AusAID and the World Bank.
Julia is a Westpac AFR 100 Women of Influence Award Winner (2013), Telstra ACT Businesswoman of the Year (2013), and a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (2014). Julia has a PhD in Materials Science from Imperial College London.
Radha Wagle
Joint Secretary and Chief of Climate Change Management Division - Ministry of Forests and Environment
Dr. Wagle carried out her Doctoral thesis in Women Inclusion in Forest Bureaucracy from Monash University, Australia. She undertook her Master’s Degree from Swedish Agricultural University (SLU), Sweden with a major in Environmental Science.
Dr. Wagle has more than 20 years of experiences in the field of forestry, biodiversity and climate change, more specifically in community forestry, REDD+, sustainable forest management, protected area management and gender equality and social inclusion in forestry and climate change sector. She is the first female Joint Secretary in Nepal’s forest bureaucracy.
She is also serving as a National Gender and Climate Change Focal Person and National Focal Person to UNFCCC and IPCC.
Faiza Rahman Syed
Program Coordinator, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Faiza is currently working as a Programme Coordinator in National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) from the platform of the Prime Minister’s Office. I am working at the intersection of Humanitarian, Gender, Education, Disaster Response, Recovery and Mitigation.
NDMA was appointed as the lead agency to deal with COVID-19 at National Level by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. COVID-19 left the world grappling to come to terms with the pandemic and the additional growing threat of humanitarian disasters. This platform connects highly impactful social and governmental sector organizations, in need of development interventions that can dramatically scale up the impact.
Nguyen Thi Lan Anh
Founder and Director - Action to the Community Development Institute, Vietnam
She holds a Master degree in Policy Advocacy on Disabilities and Public Management from Sydney University, and a Bachelorsdegreein Special Education for Children with Disabilities from Gent University, Belgium. Lan Anh also holds a certificate on health equity training from Harvard and Yale Universities. Her tremendous efforts in advocatingforPWDs and taking action on disabilityissues have earned her numerous accolades and recognitions.
Over her 19-year career, Ms. Lan Anh has held various leadership positions to facilitate and enhance the social movement of PWDs in Vietnam, including Vice Chair of the Club of Women with Disabilities in Hanoi, Board Member of the Vietnamese Federation on Disabilities (VFD), and a Steering Committee member of Vietnam Women’s Union.
Limia Dewan
Senior Program Manager, Inclusiveness and Capacity Development Unit, BRAC
Ms. Limia Dewan is Senior Program Manager, Inclusiveness and Capacity Development Unit of BRAC Education Programme (BEP).
She joined in BRAC Education Program in 1995 as Material Developer and developed various educational materials, materials on life skill based education and implement Adolescent Peer Organized Network (APON) Boys. She has been working for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) since 2003. Gradually she has taken over responsibility of Education for Ethnic Children (EEC), Multi Lingual Education (MLE), Gender equality and Capacity Development of programmatic staff.
She has obtained extensive experience in designing, planning, implementing for different programme of BEP. As development specialist she has a demonstrated history of over 26 years working in the non-profit organization management industry.
Brenda Andrias
Programme Manager of the Safe and Prosperous Districts Programme with UN Women in Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Brenda Andriasis the Programme Manager of the Safe and Prosperous Districts Programme with UN Women in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Prior to joining the UN Women in PNG, Brenda worked with Pacific Women as the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer. Pacific Women is an Australian Government-funded program that works across 14Pacific Island countries to advance gender equality in the region.
Brenda obtained her Master of Public Policy, fromthe RMIT University in Melbourne (2014-2015), where she received training in project planning and M&E as part of her coursework. Her final research project involved action research on the impact of investing in women-owned small and medium enterprises in South-East Asia.
Cherrie De Erit Atilano
Founding Farmer, President and CEO of AGREA
Cherrie De Erit Atilano is the Founding Farmer, President and CEO of AGREA; an agriculture-focused and for-purpose inclusive enterprise anchored on Ecology of Dignity. AGREA aims to develop a living model of a replicable “one island” economy, founded on sustainable agriculture, livelihood programs, environment, community-based tourism and quality education of the children of farmers and fishermen. She is also a co-founder of HATIENDA Holdings Inc., an agritourism and agri-processing space to produce Filipino agricultural products for local and exports market.
She started working with farmers at the age of 12, by teaching them sustainable ways of farming that she read from a book. She was a working student and a scholar of Negros Occidental –PAGKAON to finish her degree
Amy Haddad
Director, GEDSI, TetraTech International Development
Cherrie De Erit Atilano is the Founding Farmer, President and CEO of AGREA; an agriculture-focused and for-purpose inclusive enterprise anchored on Ecology of Dignity. AGREA aims to develop a living model of a replicable “one island” economy, founded on sustainable agriculture, livelihood programs, environment, community-based tourism and quality education of the children of farmers and fishermen. She is also a co-founder of HATIENDA Holdings Inc., an agritourism and agri-processing space to produce Filipino agricultural products for local and exports market.
She started working with farmers at the age of 12, by teaching them sustainable ways of farming that she read from a book. She was a working student and a scholar of Negros Occidental –PAGKAON to finish her degree
Dr Iderlina Mateo-Babiano
Assistant Dean (Diversity and Inclusion) / Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Melbourne
Iderlina Mateo-Babiano, PhD is Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Melbourne. She is part of the award-winning Place Agency www.placeagency.org.au. She has convened the Women in Transport leadership (WiTL) knowledge network and led several Placemaking workshops leading to productive collaboration to advance real solutions and opportunities for positive place-based change.
Her latest books are Placemaking Sandbox: Emergent Approaches, Techniques and Practices to Create More Thriving Places (Palgrave, 2020) and Parking: An International Perspective (Elsevier, 2020).
Speakers - Day 3
H.E Penny Williams
Ambassador to Indonesia
Ms Williams is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was recently Deputy Secretary in the Department. She has previously served overseas as High Commissioner to Malaysia and was Australia's first Ambassador for Women and Girls. Ms Williams is Australia's first female Ambassador to Indonesia.
Ms Williams is fluent in Indonesian and holds a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Honours) focused on Indonesia; and a Masters of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development.
