Starting on March 23, all Davao City government employees will wear their new uniforms designed for inclusivity in the workplace with no distinguishing identity according to sex or gender.
So what’s in this gender-neutral uniform?
“The gender-neutral uniform will give branding to City Hall employees,” said Lemuel Ortonio, the head of the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO).
He said the city government workers can be easily distinguishable because of their uniforms that will have an embroidered seal of Davao City.
“The design for men and women will be the same. This is to create inclusivity among city government employees,” he added.
While the men and women will have the same design of their upper uniform, Ortonio said the women can choose to wear either black slacks or black skirts to pair with it.
“The women can still choose either slacks or skirts to pair their uniform since there are women who prefer to wear skirts,” he said.
Ortonio said the gender-neutral uniform is easier for the members of the LGBTQ+ community who do not want to wear a uniform that is for girls or boys.
According to Ortonio, there are employees of the city government who are not comfortable with the current uniform since it is not gender-neutral.
It is the first time that the city government employees will have a gender-neutral uniform. For a long time, the city has a separate uniform designs and color for men and women. CIO
