The Institute

The Development Institute for Women in Asia-Pacific (DIWA) is an academic arm of the university dedicated to provide education to women in their quest for empowerment. Our goal is to empower women to succeed and prosper through education and to provide a women-centered innovative education for personal transformation and social activism based on the values of a just and humane society.

We offer support programs and services, advocate for good governance, social and economic empowerment and work towards personal growth in both aspects of academic integration and resource base building that has made significant development for the restoration of the welfare of women. DIWA believes, affirms and recognizes that women's development should be grounded in the full context of social conditions, which affect women's personal and public lives, roles and contributions.

To empower women to succeed and prosper through a women-centered and innovative education for personal transformation and social activism based on the values of just and humane society.

A. Women's Studies Program

The Gender Development and Women's Studies Program at the Philippine Women's University is part of the PWUs long involvement in women's education. The PWU, being the Asia's first university for women founded by Asians. This is also a response to Republic Act 7192 which is an Act promoting the integration of Women as full and equal partners of men in development and nation building.

Our goal is to transform the university's organization of knowledge by placing women at the center of intellectual inquiry, offering a new perspective, drawing from accumulated wisdom and offering a radical critique of knowledge and methods of various disciplines.

Being interdisciplinary, the program offers students new knowledge about identity while equipping them with a wide range of analytical and methodological skills that will empower them. It focuses on women's roles and accomplishments, issues facing women in the world today, and the significance of gender in shaping the experience of communities and individuals. It emphasizes participatory education in which student collaboration, critical thinking, and personal insights are encouraged and valued.

Through an advocacy and exposure program, students gain experience off campus in an organization whose mission embraces some aspect of women's experiences or gender issues. These exposures provide access to powerful networks that can give substantial support in the students career development.

B. Women's Spirituality

The program promotes intellectual and creative expression, explores and integrates spiritual aspects of womanhood and prepares students to help transform society after first transforming themselves. Thus, explores women's spiritual and religious leadership, women's work in healing and social activism.

C. Women's Leadership

The program promotes women's leadership through intensive training and workshops in order for young women to practice and develop vital leadership skills. Active participation in various clubs or organizations is encouraged and promoted. By doing this, students obtain opportunities to work on their vision of leadership, receive training in key leadership skills, and apply their learnings in innovative leadership projects.

D. HERSTORY- Promotion of Women's Cultural Heritage

The promotion of cultural heritage among women through HERSTORY has been shown to be an important element, not only from the point of view of understanding heritage resources as a part of developmental issues among women, but also in all the domains of women's daily lives. The recognition and respect of the importance and specificity of ones own and others heritage are an essential step towards empowerment.

E. On-going Activities

• Develop gender-fair curriculum
• Conduct Feminist Research
• Conduct Trainings
• Undertake advocacy through community involvement, mobilization of media and networking


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