KC CAR womenAbout 21 women from three barangays of the municipality of Langiden, Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) try their hands at construction jobs after completing the Non-traditional Skills Training on Masonry, Carpentry and Plumbing through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a core program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Conducted ​in May 2016, the skills training is part of the Kalahi-CIDSS capacity building activities to empower women by developing skills which will make them competitive in ​male-dominated areas.

Through the joint collaboration of Kalahi-CIDSS and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), around 3,865 women in Kalahi-CIDSS areas nationwide served as paid laborers during the construction of their community sub-projects so they can earn ​additional income to help support their families.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the core programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that aims to empower communities through enhanced participation in local governance and poverty alleviation projects. The program also promotes the inclusion of women in paid physical labor, planning and decision making for social development issues at the community level.  ###