The University of Northern Philippines had its memorandum of agreement with the Sta. Catalina Rural Health Unit held on March 20, 2024. As part of the said agreement, an extension activity was conducted on September 25, 2024.

Dr. Mae Oliva Piano, CGAD extension coordinator, shared her insights on the basic gender and development concepts, including gender roles particularly on how people have been accultured to behave according to their assigned gender. These roles shape their behaviors, attitudes and responsibilities.

In her discussions, she emphasized that gender is an important consideration in development. It is a way of looking how social norms and power structures impact the lives and opportunities to different groups of men and women.

On the other hand, when gender is taken as a relational concept, the society allocates the rights, responsibilities and privileges to men and women, boys and girls differently.

Moreover, gender roles focus on social construction of identities within the household, and it also reveals the expectations from maleness and femaleness in their relative access to resources.

The said activity was participated by the nurses, midwives, and intern students of UNP. They were headed by Dr. Mary Christine Villar.