The Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Schools Policy Statement on Building a Gender Inclusive, Gender Responsive, and Gender Safe Community (OVPLS Memo)

To:                      The Loyola Schools Community

From:                  Maria Luz C Vilches, PhD

                           Vice President

RE: THE ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY LOYOLA SCHOOLS POLICY STATEMENT ON BUILDING A GENDER INCLUSIVE, GENDER RESPONSIVE, AND GENDER SAFE COMMUNITY

Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit, the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Schools is an academic community that upholds the dignity of every human person. In consonance with the teachings in the Gospels and the Ignatian principles of conscience, competence, compassion, and commitment, it strives to cultivate a strong culture of respect for human rights. It endeavors to promote justice that is rooted in genuine empathy and understanding of the struggle and suffering of others. Within the broader vision of a just, humane, and equal world, it rejects and confronts all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination.  True to its belief in a faith that does justice for all, it seeks ways of establishing structures that support gender inclusivity, promote gender responsiveness, embrace the call for gender justice, and build a gender safe community. 

An inclusive community respects human dignity, one’s right to self-identity and self-expression, and diversity. 

A gender-responsive community promotes gender equality, gender sensitivity, and gender-fair education.  Gender equality is the recognition that all human beings, regardless of their sex, gender, and sexuality, are equal in dignity and in rights. Gender sensitivity refers to the practice of respect, empathy, and compassion embedded in the awareness of conditions that perpetuate gender inequality and gender injustice and the engagement in practices that seek to transform these conditions. Gender fair education refers to teaching and learning practices that promote gender equality and justice, including the use of non-sexist language and the avoidance of gender stereotypes and gender biases.

A safe community is free of sexual or gender-based violence, discrimination, and harassment. It recognizes the inherent dignity of every person; any form of violation of the body is a violation of a person’s dignity and integrity.

The Loyola Schools is dedicated to the building of a gender inclusive, gender responsive, and gender safe community for all by creating an enabling environment, developing transformative practices, and providing adequate responses. 

An enabling environment institutionalizes policies, standards, and procedures which facilitate the promotion of a gender inclusive, gender responsive, and gender safe Loyola Schools community. 

Transformative practices address existing biased or discriminatory policies, practices and programs, and effect change for the betterment of life for all. 

Adequate responses provide appropriate measures and genuine efforts to realize progressively a gender inclusive, gender responsive and gender safe community for all students and employees of the Loyola Schools through clear policies and accessible services including immediate assistance, support services, referral mechanisms, and protective and corrective measures to address all forms of sexual or gender-based violence.  

This policy statement applies to the Loyola Schools community as a whole. It shall be interpreted in light of Ateneo de Manila University’s vision, mission and policies.