Breaking Barriers: How CCDC Empowers Women in Male-Dominated Fields

Women have long been underrepresented in certain careers, but Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) is on a mission to change that. Through proactive outreach, supportive programs, and an inclusive campus culture, CCDC encourages women to pursue fields traditionally dominated by men. The college’s efforts are not just policies on paper – they’re real programs touching lives, from high school classrooms to community centers and beyond. The result is a growing number of empowered CCDC alumnae thriving in careers once considered “for men only,” and a campus where young women know that no dream is off-limits.

Outreach and Guidance: Inspiring Future Women Professionals

One of CCDC’s most impactful strategies is early outreach or career guidance. Teams from the college visit secondary schools across the region to spark girls’ interest in courses and careers where women are typically underrepresented. During these career guidance sessions, successful women alumnae and faculty often share their stories, helping to demystify fields like law enforcement. For instance, CCDC actively promotes criminology – a field traditionally dominated by male officers – as an exciting path for young women. In local high schools, the college’s guidance counselors encourage female students to consider degrees like Criminology, challenging outdated stereotypes and empowering girls to break new ground. By seeing women role models in these sessions (such as female police officers who graduated from CCDC), the next generation is learning that they too belong in any profession they choose. This early encouragement is often the first spark that inspires a girl to say, “I can do that,” and CCDC is making sure that spark catches fire.

Partnerships and Safe Spaces: Building a Supportive Community

Encouraging women in male-dominated fields goes hand-in-hand with creating a community that values and protects them. CCDC works closely with local community groups and government agencies to champion women’s rights and well-being. The college regularly participates in nationwide initiatives like the annual 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, promoting awareness and action against gender-based violence. Through its various colleges, CCDC integrates Gender and Development programs that educate students on gender equality and provide support mechanisms for women. These partnerships and campaigns send a clear message: women’s voices and safety matter everywhere – from the classroom to the workplace – and the community is united behind them.

On campus, CCDC has cultivated a safe, inclusive atmosphere where female students can thrive without fear or bias. Policies are in place (as outlined in the CCDC Student Handbook) to prevent discrimination and harassment, ensuring “a safe and inclusive environment for all students”. In fact, the college has strengthened how it handles harassment issues, making it easier for students to report problems and trust that action will be taken. “CCDC has strengthened its strategies in protecting the interest of parties involved in harassment cases… [which] helps encourage parties to trust the systems in place to ensure a safe learning environment for all,” confirms Annabelle B. Gondales, CCDC’s Vice President for Administration. This supportive climate extends to mentorship and counseling programs as well, so that women (and men) have the emotional and academic support they need to succeed. Perhaps most powerfully, CCDC leads by example: women now hold about two-thirds of the senior academic positions at the college, providing strong role models in leadership. With female deans, professors, and administrators prominently guiding the institution, students see that women can excel as experts and leaders – a daily reminder that gender is no barrier to achievement.

Inclusive Progress: Women Thriving in New Fields

The true measure of CCDC’s efforts is written in the success of its students and graduates. In recent years, the college has seen a notable rise in women entering and excelling in courses once dominated by men. Dean Dennis M. Butag of the College of Criminal Justice Education observes that more women are enrolling in the Criminology program than ever before – and importantly, they are completing their degrees at higher rates. He attributes this positive trend partly to improving conditions for women in law enforcement careers after graduation. In other words, as the broader field becomes more welcoming to women, CCDC is right there preparing female graduates to step into those roles and succeed. Similar progress is evident in technical and scientific courses.

Behind these numbers are countless personal victories: a young woman from a farming family who, thanks to a CCDC scholarship and mentoring, became the first female engineer in her community; a shy girl who joined the college’s IT program after an outreach seminar and discovered a passion for coding; a mother who returned to school in her 30s to study criminal justice and is now proudly serving in the police force. Each story adds to the growing narrative that CCDC is helping to rewrite – one where women are confident and equipped to enter any field they dream of.

In the end, CCDC’s message to women and girls is simple but powerful: You belong here, and you can do anything. With that supportive message backed by real action, Cordillera Career Development College is transforming lives and helping to shape a more equitable future – one female trailblazer at a time.

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