Gender Issues on Philippine Economic Setting: a Reflective Essay

Introduction

Increasing opportunities for women in the workforce, as well as promoting gender

equality in the workplace, is a key strategy for attaining inclusive growth. As a result of the

country's economic expansion, there has not been enough employment growth, nor has the

employment growth been inclusive of women, which has been an issue. There has been little

progress toward gender equality in the labor sector as measured by the percentage of women

in waged occupations outside of agriculture. According to government predictions of the

gender pay gap in the Philippines, female annual earnings are predicted to be less than 60% of

male annual earnings.1 It is not enough to look at employment growth alone to assess if there

has been inclusive growth in low-income countries when there is a large informal sector and

severe underemployment. The seven gender gaps (or shortages for women) explored in this

chapter include labor force participation, human capital, unpaid domestic and care work,

vulnerable employment, wage employment, decent work, and social protection. As a result,

despite the efforts of many groups, women continue to suffer from chronic gender deficits in

the Philippine labor market, despite several legal and regulatory interventions.

1
The hardship of combining reproductive and paid labor affects women's involvement in paid work and access to
decent work, according to Floro and Meurs (2009, 4). These shifts in reproductive labor add stress not accounted
for by traditional concepts of decent employment, which focus on paid work.”
Relating gender employment, financial issues, and decision making of genders in the

Philippines from virtual talk

Despite the fact that women's labor force participation rate has surpassed 50%, it is still

lower than that of men. Gender norms, particularly those related to reproductive

responsibilities, keep Filipino women out of the workforce. The unemployment rate for women

has often been higher than the rate for men, with the exception of 2005 and 2006. When

compared to its neighbors, the Philippines has the highest proportion of female professionals

and technical workers. There is just one country in the world where women hold executive

roles on an equal basis with men. More than one million Filipino women have fled their country

to work as foreign domestic servants since there are not enough jobs for them (OFWs). From

1998 to 2006, women outnumbered men in the number of newly hired OFWs. 2 Women OFWs

outnumber males in occupations like as professionals, clerks, service and sales employees,

laborers, and unskilled workers. Working overseas has significantly improved the lives of

Filipino women. Domestic workers, for example, are now rewarded but not credited with

economic value for services performed in their own homes. Women's ability to support their

families financially has not only empowered them, but also boosted their feeling of self-worth. 3

The Philippines' national development plan does not identify gender equality as a normative

macroeconomic goal. There has been a restriction on the use of macroeconomic measures to

directly promote employment, and the impact on women's employment has been overlooked A

2
Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). 2013. Convergence for Women’s Empowerment. Official magazine of
the GREAT Women Project.

3
The PCW has prepared more significant gender and development planning documents, which are available on its
website (http://pcw.gov.ph/publication/types/Reference).
country's trade policies have been related to employment objectives or metrics that have been

established by the Philippines. Fiscal and monetary policy should be evaluated for its effects on

women and men in individual countries. Gender-sensitive policies should be developed and

implemented. In order to ensure that women have equal access to the workforce, it is essential

to lower the quantity of unpaid domestic and care work that they perform. 4 Child care services

policy will be developed as part of this effort. Similarly, promoting exports of products and

services should be tied to a study of the effects of gender on job opportunities. It is important

to do an employment analysis of import policy in conjunction with such an investigation

(typically tariff reductions). Opportunities exist to expand on the excellent foundation that has

already been laid. Despite the fact that the Philippines is considering an employment-led

growth strategy, employment objectives have been developed that are gender-neutral. We

advocate for the establishment and monitoring of gender-equitable objectives as well as the

recognition of increased employment as a macroeconomic goal.

Advocacy

Gender equality in the workplace is crucial to attracting and retaining top talent.

Women can help organizations recruit more effectively, especially in professions where women

have historically encountered institutional impediments to development. Creating an

atmosphere free of conscious and unconscious prejudices would automatically increase female

employee retention. Millennials, who are increasingly prominent in the global workforce, value
4
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in
Persons, Especially Women and Children.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/Pages/TraffickingIndex.aspx.
equality and diversity in all dimensions. Gamson, who has made tremendous progress toward

gender equality, acknowledges three things that men in leadership positions may do 5: (1)

Recognize the unconscious prejudices that preserve the status quo and disadvantage other

groups. (2) Focus on the hiring process. (3) Prioritizing high-potential personnel and allocating

expenditures to reach underrepresented talent should be prioritized. In general, more

diversified workforces are said to have a competitive edge. Diverse viewpoints can help

businesses become more inventive. A diverse team can help your company better reflect the

markets you are trying to serve. Incorporating social justice into the process of developing

diversity may enhance employee engagement.

While there has been a reduction in the gender gap in labor force participation, the

gender gap in productive and decent work continues to exist in the Philippines. Because women

have less opportunities for employment, more precarious employment, and an unpaid work

burden, they are paid less than males in many jobs and industries, even when they do find

employment. The primary barriers to women's participation in the labor market are domestic

work and child-rearing responsibilities, as well as women's less equitable door to means.

Additionally, they endure widespread prejudice, lacking social security in the majority of labor

situations. Creating opportunities and boosting work prospects are all challenges that the

Philippines must tackle in the coming years. Wide-ranging macroeconomic solutions will be

required to boost job possibilities, together with policies and legislation promoting decency in

work, social protections, and active labor market assistance. 6

5
See Soteres, 2018. Advocating for Gender Equality in the Workplace.
https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2018/04/advocating-for-gender-equality-in-the-workplace.aspx
6
See Epstein (2007) and Cobham (2012).
Conclusion

No matter how many times it is said, there is still room for improvement in the

Philippines' labor laws and constitution. Equal pay for equal labor is one example of how to

reduce the wage gap. Transparent, objective, and social partner-inclusive minimum wage

setting methods should be designed and implemented. This process should be open,

transparent, and inclusive of all relevant parties. Multiple short-term contracts are a crucial

component of precarious labor and should be restricted. The Philippines should have processes

in place to enable women report workplace sexual harassment and discrimination and obtain

the remedy they deserve. Women's perspectives on these topics must be emphasized, and

more women must join the workforce and women's groups. Additionally, the Philippines must

address structural and financial issues in order to improve the effectiveness and coverage of the

labor inspectorate. Public–private collaborations to improve labor inspection and the utilization

of social dialogue can be implemented.