History of GE in Philippines

Pre Colonial Period

In the pre-colonial Philippine society, the babaylan was the major
representation of the status accorded to women in a balangay or barangay. The
babaylan was mostly concerned with culture, religion, medicine and other
theoretical knowledge crucial to the conduct of pre-colonial Philippine society.
The babaylan was called the 'proto-scientist' among the ancient Filipinos.
Although the role was often given to women, Salazar noted that there were also
biological males who performed the role of babaylan. The babaylan was not
subservient to the datu, who was considered the wealthiest, the strongest, the
wisest, and often the bravest, member of the clan – which made him the rightful
head. Instead, the datu and the babaylan worked together on important social
activities.1
These are the following rights and role of woman in pre colonial period:
o They hold high characters in communities like healers, priestess,
leadership roles and warriors
o Right to inherit property and have an importance part in trade and
business(weave, pottery, jewelry)
o They enjoy equal rights without interference from the male
 Heiress are one of the choices to be a Datu
 Right to divorce her husband

Spanish Period
They brought with them their own idea of what woman is and where she is
supposed to be placed in the society. Educational system altered where priest
are educators. Education and opportunity were prioritized for men.
Although woman were able to attend vocational schools, most are not given
opportunity because priests believe that woman should stay at home., hence
woman became attached at home and that developed that there duty was to
be an obedient and respectful daughter, good wife and mother.2
Typical Maria Clara, ideal woman for Spaniards is someone overly religious,
submissive and obedient (can no longer loiter around, run along meadows and
swim in rivers, climb trees as children,)
The real Filipina was replaced by the ideal woman dictated by the Spaniards.
Because of these, men rise to be more dominant, women were not allowed to
hold positions and participate in political activities.3

American Regime to Present

Suffrage
Many Filipino men were opposed to the idea, and held fast to the traditional
view that a woman's place was cooking, cleaning and child rearing in the home.
The males of this perspective were primarily concerned that the familial dynamic
would destabilize if women were to formally step outside their customary role.

1 library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/philippinen/14072.pdf
2 tonkshistory.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/the-role-of-women-from-pre-hispanic-to-spanish-era/
3 tonkshistory.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/the-role-of-women-from-pre-hispanic-to-spanish-era/
 “…it is essential and even imperative that the right to vote be granted to
Filipino women if they are not to be treated as mere slaves” and that, for
women, it was “…their opportunity to wield a very important weapon to
defend their right to secure for themselves and those to follow them their
well-being and happiness.”4
-President Quezon, having signed the
Woman's Suffrage Plebiscite Bill,

Constitution
Article II, Section 14 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution maintains that the
State "recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the
fundamental equality before the law of women and men."5

International Commitments

The recognition and promotion of the rights of women to participate in

politics and other decision-making processes are enshrined in international
human rights instruments to which the Philippines is a State Party. These include
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Convention
on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and, in particular, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).6

Present State of GE in Philippines

Over the past century, noticeable developments have been made which
have led to greater endorsement and protection of these rights. The progression
towards gender equality came about through women's movements, increased
numbers of women political representatives, increased numbers of educated
women, greater specificity on women's issues instituted under legislation, and the
focused application of those laws. In recent years, the Filipino government has
addressed the rights of women under a multitude of legislative schemes including
workplace discrimination, domestic violence, sexual harassment and human
trafficking.7

Labor Force
In the past, firms and businesses generally hire Filipino women for less pay
and secretarial functions. But at present, Filipino women are given the same
opportunities as their male counterparts in the business realm. This is due to the
political and economic changes at the global and national levels in urban society
that have led to the growth of export-based industries and the service sector,
which then created more opportunities for Filipino women
The 2018 Global Gender Gap report recorded an improvement in economic
participation and opportunity in the Philippines, as wages increased for women’s
estimated income and equal pay for similar work.

RA.9710 salient features:

4 officialgazette.gov.ph/1936/09/30/speech-of-president-quezon-on-woman-suffrage-september-30-1936/
5 1987 Philippine Constitution
6 pcw.gov.ph/international-commitments/list
7 wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_the_Philippines
  Increasing the number of women in third level positions in government to
achieve a fifty-fifty (50-50) gender balance within the next five years while
the composition of women in all levels of development planning and
program implementation will be at least 40 percent;
 Leave benefits of two (2) months with full pay based on gross monthly
compensation for women employees who undergo surgery caused by
gynecological disorders, provided that they have rendered continuous
aggregate employment service of at least six (6) months for the last twelve
(12) months;
 Non-discrimination in employment in the field of military, police and other
similar services that include according the same promotional privileges and
opportunities as their men counterpart, including pay increases, additional
benefits, and awards, based on competency and quality of performance.8

Education
DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2017 “commits to integrate the principles of gender
equality, gender equity, gender sensitivity, non-discrimination and human rights in
the provision and governance of basic education”. The policy amongst others
highlights the following:
 Enforcement and compliance with RA 9710 on non-expulsion of women
faculty and female learners who become pregnant outside of marriage;
 Implementation of sexual and reproductive health services in every school;
 Formulation of policies to boost women’s participation in sports;
 Provision of facilities for differently-abled people;
 Establishment of media network and mechanism to disseminate GAD-
related information/advocacy campaigns;
 Establishment of VAWC desk in schools; and

RA.9710 Section 13: Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education,

Scholarships, and Training. - (a) The State shall ensure that gender stereotypes
and images in educational materials and curricula are adequately and
appropriately revised. Gender-sensitive language shall be used at all times.
Capacity-building on gender and development (GAD), peace and human rights,
education for teachers, and all those involved in the education sector shall be
pursued toward this end. Partnerships between and among players of the
education sector, including the private sector, churches, and faith groups shall be
encouraged.

(b) Enrollment of women in nontraditional skills training in vocational and tertiary

levels shall be encouraged.

(c) Expulsion and non-readmission of women faculty due to pregnant; outside of

marriage shall be outlawed. No school shall turn out or refuse admission to a
female student solely on the account of her having contracted pregnancy outside
of marriage during her term in school.

In areas such as engineering, technology, trade and agriculture the

graduates predominantly remain to be male. It has been hoped that this can be
addressed through changes to school curriculum, educational classes based on
the elimination of gender stereotypes and the boosting of general awareness of
gender issues.9
8 R.A. 9710 Magna Carta of Women

9 www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw55/statements/Philippines.pdf
 The former gap between male and female literacy and tertiary graduates no
longer exists. Accessibility and attainment of education has been a major
contributor to the general well-being and standard of living for not only all
women, but all people, throughout the Philippines.10
Political Empowerment
Filipino women have become increasingly involved in politics on both the
local and national level. Women have come to occupy wide-ranging positions such
as members of senate, members of congress, senators, governors, mayors and
judges. The greatest exemplification of Filipino women’s involvement in politics is
the occasions of female presidency.11
 María Corazón Aquino

 11th President of the Philippines (1986-1992)

 Abolished the 1973 Constitution that was in force during Martial Law,
and by decree issued the provisional 1986 Freedom Constitution until
the ratification of 1987 Constitution and restoration of congress.
 Maria Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

 14th President of the Philippines(2001 – 2010)

 expanded value added tax (e-VAT) law, considered the centerpiece of
her administration's economic reform agenda, that could plug the
country's large budget deficit

10 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_the_Philippines#Suffrage_movement
11 wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Philippines#cite_note-Shah-5
 Qualified to Vote(60,572,900)

Male
30,146,200 30,156,700 Female

Suffrage

Non-Registered Voter (6,209,056)

male
female
2,364,062
3,844,994

As shown in the chart above, female practice their right to suffrage more
compared to male (based on overall qualified voter)12.
The Philippines has also enacted RA 7192 or the Women in Development
and Nation Building Act, which requires all government departments to ensure
that "women benefit equally and participate directly in the development
programs and projects."
Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), the country’s
comprehensive women’s human rights law, provides under Section 11 the
undertaking of “temporary special measures to accelerate the participation and
equitable representation of women in all spheres of society particularly in the
decision-making and policy-making processes in government and private entities
to fully realize their role as agents and beneficiaries of development.”
It mandates incremental increase of women in third level positions in the
civil service until a fifty-fifty (50-50) gender balance is achieved; sets a forty
12 psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/Table4_9.pdf
percent (40%) quota for women in local development councils and planning
bodies; and provides for the creation of an incentive system for encouraging
political parties to integrate women in their leadership hierarchy and electoral
nominating processes, among others.
Gender Gap
The WEF noted the country has managed to close about 80% of the total
gender gap, which is the “highest value ever recorded” for the Philippines.
Philippines ranked 8th in this year's Global Gender Gap report, out of 149
countries.13
Improvement in economic participation and opportunity in the Philippines
was also recorded, as wages increased for women’s estimated income and equal
pay for similar work.
The WEF noted the country has managed to close about 80% of the total
gender gap, which is the “highest value ever recorded” for the Philippines. 14

Issues and Challenges to Gender Equality in Philippines

Labor force
Despite of the increasing female employment over the years, women’s
labor force participation is significantly lower than men’s participation with a
gap of 28%-32% since 1998.15
Filipino women are unable to pursue the same opportunities in the job
market as the men because of cultural and social barriers. They are expected to
do the bulk of domestic work, including child rearing and domestic chores,
keeping them from the job market. Lack of child care facilities in the workplace
hinders their opportunity to pursue higher-paying jobs.

13 www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2018
14 rappler.com/nation/219124-philippines-ranking-global-gender-gap-report-2018
15 psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2017%20Gender%20Statistics%20on%20Labor%20and%20Employment%28GSLE
%29%20publication_0.pdf
 These include recruiting practices that exclude qualified female candidates
because of the nature of the job, manager bias and work force policies that are
not conducive to women who have to balance their work and family life.

Political Participation
Philippines, despite having two female Presidents and publicized by the
World Economic Forum as the most gender equal country in Asia, has its own
share of political struggle of women in power.
The reason is the strong patriarchal systems remain in our society due to
Spaniards colonization making it difficult for women to break into the male-
dominated world of politics. There continues to be a strong emphasis across
societies of women’s roles in the home, as mothers and wives. Also, politics
remain a ‘male’ structure.
To add up, the fact that the ratio of women to men voters are 51:49 and
still, as past elections have shown, men clearly dominate the political scene. There
are presently only six women in the Senate—and that is the highest number in
Philippine history. In the House of Representatives—excluding the party-list
representatives—there are only 60 women out of the 234 representatives.

Sociologist Clifford Sorita, former secretary general and current project

officer of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that in
the Philippines, the low percentage of women participating in politics was not an
issue of opportunity.

“As long as a woman is willing to be of service to our country, there is no limit to

the extent of her involvement,” Clifford Sorita, However, certain social realities
hamper the participation of women in politics.

“Like in any other workplace, most women put into high consideration the extent
of her involvement in politics vis-à-vis her role as mother and wife in the family
and its consequent double burden of work which includes the multiple demands
in running a political career and a family,” he added.16

Norms

16 gmanetwork.com/news/news/specialreports/558302/more-female-voters-but-much-fewer-women-running-
and-winning-in-elections/story/
 The male is the one that provides while women take care of the house,
male must impose dominance while female must be submissive and male must
make the decision while female must adhere, these are the few things that we
learn from past generation and we cannot deny that social norms are the most
significant factor that made a major effect on how we perceive or treat thing
based on gender. Even though we are aware that we must treat each other
equally we unconsciously make our own contribution of discrimination as a
result daily experience and interaction not only outside but also inside our
home.

Recommendations to Address the Issue to GE

1. Implementation of policies and programs including practice of diversity to
improve gender balance in male-dominated industries
Concentrate on equal representation as basis of hiring and not by gender,
this might include flexible schedules that encourage a work/life balance,
paid leave, programs that support adjustment in corporate life after
maternity or other career breaks, and training and development plans that
help women advance in the organization.
2. Elimination of reading materials, textbook and images that may attribute to
gender bias or discrimination, this includes regular inspection and
communication.
3. Continued advocacy, mainstreaming and acceleration addressing the rights
of women including their right to political participation.
4. Voluntary participation in different programs raising awareness regarding
gender equality.

Group 1
Asuncion Pollie
Perez Sandra
Padilla Ysmael