6. Case Studies This paper has advanced the principles of Upward Agenda Setting and Horizontal Accountability to operationalize a feminist redistribution of power for gender-just governance. Having assessed the systemic barriers within existing mechanisms, this section will highlight a sample of existing initiatives and practices that can be built on to exercise these principles. The following case studies were selected for their transformative potential in terms of inclusive leadership and the demonstration of gender-just principles in their approach and goal setting. The interviews with the pioneers of the organizations and programs were conducted in September 2025. These examples represent opportunities, relationships and experiences that can serve as the foundation for transformative change. Case Study 1. KABILIN: Co-Governance and the Redistribution of Power in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental The Kapunungan sa mga Kababyen-ang Banikanhon Ingon nga Lig-on ug Naghiusa(KABILIN)—a federation of Indigenous and rural women in Sta. Catalina municipality, Negros Oriental province, led by Indigenous leader Luz Bador—is an example of how redistributive co-governance transforms the government’s priorities. Bador shares that KABILIN and municipal officials have co-constructed new understandings of participation, accountability and empowerment by insisting on collaboration with the LGU, reshaping both the content and culture of local policy. According to Bador, the local government’s GAD Code limited interventions to annual gender sensitivity and anti­gender-based violence seminars. These sessions, however, triggered backlash: Women reported increased violence at home after attending, as husbands resented their absence from domestic duties. Guided by KABILIN’s women, the LGU restructured these activities to include family-based training, recognizing that cultural change requires collective participation. The LGU constructed a communal space where families could gather on weekends, share meals and attend joint sessions on gender equality, unpaid care and household cooperation. This shifted gender programming from isolated lectures to community-building experiences that reoriented attitudes within families. Through Upward Agenda Setting, KABILIN expanded what counts as legitimate governance concerns. By mobilizing testimonies from women farmers, caregivers and Indigenous members, the federation secured a seat in the Municipal Development Council and pushed for the Organic Agriculture Ordinance, which mandates municipal provision of organic fertilizer to women farmers. This institutionalized women’s roles as agricultural producers and environmental stewards, redefining economic participation as both livelihood and care for the land. Women-managed farms now inform local budget priorities, and men’s participation in the federation’s programs has evolved from resistance to support as husbands increasingly share caregiving responsibilities and willingly provide transportation for their wives to and from meetings and activities. At the same time, KABILIN practices Horizontal Accountability by reframing how success is measured. Members emphasize that projects should be assessed by “ nakakaapekto ba ito sa buhay ng bawat isa”(“whether it improves everyone’s lives”). The group monitors the alignment of budgets with community-defined needs, arguing that true accountability is not fiscal compliance but tangible wellbeing. Their organizing also includes gender-based violence watch groups where women members themselves link barangay-level gender-based violence reporting to municipal protection services, placing accountability within the community itself. KABILIN’s collaboration with the LGU flags what is necessary for the redistribution of power: knowledge and decision-making authority flowing upward from communities rather than downward from officials. By normalizing women’s participation in local planning, the federation is slowly transforming the perception of governance—from a male-dominated structure of control to a shared civic labor rooted in care, inclusion and cultural sensitivity. However, KABILIN leader Luz Bador’s reflection on women’s self-perception within Indigenous communities underscores the structural barriers to holding the government accountable for equitable outcomes. She observed,“ Mahirap yun sa mga IP kasi mas malakas sa kanila yung[lalaki]... Mayroon pa dapat idevelop na kakayahan ng kababaihan na maging palaban … Lalo na kasi pag kaharap pulitiko … kahit may batas na … kailangan ng legwork”(“It’s difficult among Indigenous Peoples because men have more say … The capacity of 18 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.