Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer INTRODUCTION Gender permeates all aspects of society. This idea may be hard to imagine because ‘oppression due to gender has been $o normalized that even those who experience that brunt of this system see no wrong in it. The sectorial situationer belong will give an overview of the condition of women both in the Philippines and around the globe in relation to oppression. This situationer may hopefully serve as a Jens in which students can view and understand the gender 1. Definition of patriarchy; inequality women face avarywnere ‘The chapter will focus on the 12 critical areas of ‘concer of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPIA) as they ‘apply to the situations of women in various sectors in the Philippines. The developmental thrust of the Beijing platform has inspired many agencies worldwide toward improving ‘women’s plight. Women's issues are a very comprehensive ‘and difficult topic to tackle in depth. In fact, data are still lacking for several years up to now. Hence, discussion shall be limited on selected issues specific to Filipino women in certain sectors and the progress of Philippines has attained in fuffiling the goals of the Beijing Platform of Action. May this chapter open your eyes to the issues concerning ‘women in different areas and show the real impact of sexism ‘and gender-biased principles on women. In this lesson, the students will learn about: 2, The Roots of Patriarchy and Sex Typing of Work; and ‘3, The type of society and patterns of gender stratification At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: 1. Identify major areas where women are discriminated; 3. Explain why discrimination is unjust; 3. Describe the challenges women face in various sectors in the Philippines; and 4. State existing institutional mechanisms that protect women against, discrimination and violence. a «Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer fing) MAIN CONTENT ‘The BEVJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION (BPIA) ‘emphasizes that wernen share common concems that can be addressed only by working together and in partnership with men towards the common goal of (gender) equality around the world.’ It was a result of the Nairobi Forward- locking strategies for the Advancement of Women held in 1985. The BPA aims for the complete participation of women in all spheras of ife through tha shared responsibility of men and women ‘at home, in the workslace,,and in the public sector. It'seeks a people-centred sustainable Seveiopment: ‘The BPIA is a landmark act that recognizes the subordinate position of wornen in the @ebe, and aims to promote and protect thei full rights while Giagnosing problems relisted to women's issues, It proposes strategic objectives and concrete sctions that can be taken by various concemed agents to address these issues. The aim of this platform for action was the enaciment of policies and programs addressing wornen cancers within five years of its creation in 1995. The UN mandated its Commission on the Status of Women to monitor the integration of gender perspectives on entical issues highlighted in the BPI, The BPIA has special considerations for the gi-chiki, indigenous women, women workers, and women who were victims of viowence in armed conflicts. ILalso focuses on the social mensions of growth, recognizing that structural adjustment plans had left behind women and had led to a feminization of poverty ~ the phenomenon in which majonty of the world's poor are women To ensure gender equaity. the BPIA formulated the 12 critccal areas of concom that need urgent acton: C..., Women and the Economy: Women and Work nly Work is often understood as ivelnood. For a good reason. # is seen as a | __ survival mechanism for many as werk provides money necessary to buy goods <4) for @ person to live. While both man and women have problems canceming work, wornen have specific labor issues related to their gender. Moreover. women's work is often Invisiblized due to thelr socialized gender roles. ‘Ths following are work-related Issues surrounding women around the globe, as described ‘nthe 2015 UN World's Women Report. The range of iasues includes the conditions thet surround men and women who work, how much women get paid, and the kind of werk they are allowed to do, ‘There sre fewer women than men at work, and mast women only work in one sector. Only half of women are employed in the labor force, versus three quarters af men globally. The type of work women are engaged in is also difficult lo comprehend. Despile women contributing to all aspects of the economy they often participate in vulnerable employment or work in their own account I involves taking jobs with no job sacurity or dangerous working conditions, Woman working in home-based employment are at nsk for unemployment and maltreatment Wornen who: ‘work in the public sphere are delegated to the service sector, such as education, social work, eaith care, and comestic work in private household. This phenomenon is for the occupational segregation of women. Not only are fewer women employed, they siso experiance the pay gap ~they are paid less than what men receive for doing the same work, across all sectors and occupations. Specifically, women eam 70% to 90% of what men eam in most counties. In addition, due te te socialized gender roles between the two, woren also work an average of wo or more hours than men a day due to their productive work al home or housework, The sharing of unpaid work at home is iso an issue as family responsibiities may get in the way of women's career edvancement 67 «Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer While many issues conceming women and work have yet to be addressed some issues have gained ground, such as matemity and patemity Isaves. Thankfully, to the number of paid workdays that can be taken by 2 woman to care for her new-born chiki has increased in most countries. There has also been increase in inftistives for patemity leave. Women, Work, and Poverty in the Philippines Qs Women as a social class are the tith poorest, as 15.6% of women are classified ‘88 poor in 2015, The structural adjustment program has a negative impact an women living in poverty, as it affects the availablity of work, the nature of one’s work, and job security The 2018 Bejing Platform for Action (BPIA) +20 NGO Report of the University of the Philippines Center for Women's Studies confirms that women stil to face the same issues at work today as they did ten years ago. Issues such 2s poverty and the lack of decent work opportunities stil affect both women and men. Women also experience gander biases in the Philippines, such as their ‘limited career choices, lack of support faciliies, sexual harassment, lack of protaction for the informal sector and domastic workers, tenuous social protection, limited monitoring on labor standards, and unremitting promation of labor export posicy” ‘The Labor Foros Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authonty (PSA) defines work 3s an ‘economic activity that a person does for pay. It involves a person who serves in private companies, private households, family-owned businesses, establishments, goverment: controlled corporations, or the government Women and work have multiie overtaps in the Philippines, Numerous women-specific ‘sues are present in the sectors of egnoulture, formal labor (retail or factory work), end informal work. Women overseas Filipino workers are also at high risk, Women and Education ‘What exactly is the state of gender and education in the global context? The 2015: Trends and Statistics gives @ summary of gender issues in educaton. Gender parity in primary education is present not just in the Philippines, but also in the rest of the world, with girls performing better than boys in same regions. However, for the countries that have not reached gender parity, gis are at high risk for Giscriminaton. More than three-fourths of the 58 million eut-of-schook children live in sub-Saharan ‘Africa and Southern Asia, with half of the cut-of-school girs coming from these regions. ‘While gender parity has been achieved at the primary level, Inequality stil increases at higher levels of education. Generally, fewer students enrol in secondary education than in primary ‘education, and even so in tertiary education, However, an increase can be found in fernale participation in higher education. Issues in education involve the gendsred nature of certain specializatons. Women may be underrepresented in STEM fields ~ science, technology, engineering, and matvenatics = for both tertiary education and postgraduate studies. Women ars also underrepresented in areas that involve physical activity in vocational courses, such as manufacturing and construction. While literacy has been eradicated in most countries, 781 million people aged 15 and aver still remain ititerate, with women maiking up two-thirds of this statistic. ‘The UN developed the Millennium Development Goals (MOGs) for the yeer 2000 to year 2015. ‘The MOGs comprised of eight goals and 21 targets, ach with associsted indicators. The Philippine government committed itself to the Mifennium Develapment Goal No. 2, ensuring ‘that by 2015, chikiren everywhere, boys and girs alke, will be able to complete a full course of prmary ing,’ and the Goal No, 3, Target 3A, 'to elminate gender disparity in primary and secondary ‘educetion, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of educetion no later than 2018." > 68Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer Women and Health O Accass to health care and health services constitute issues surrounding women ‘and health, as well as a woman’s emotional, psychological, and social wellness. Women-specific health issues are often linked to sexual and reproductive health needs. Globally, maternal health has improved considerably. However, pregnancy and childbirth are stil the main health concerns of women aged 15-29. These issues are also complicated by HIV-AIDS. Women in developing regions are most prone to death due to these complications. The average life expectancy of women has risen to the risen to the age of 72 years, while itis 68 for men, However, issues surround the care for elierly women as the gender gap for this service Continues to increase. There is a rise in obesity cases, with women becoming more obese than men. However, men are more at risk for tobacco-related illnesses as men smoke more. Issues surrounding health care in the Philippines involve the lack of access to healthcare facilities, quality services, and actual health centres in the communities. The lack of services may be caused by the decrease in healthcare practitioners. The Philippines underspends for health, lower than the 5% benchmark suggested by the World Health Organization. The medicines available to the Filipinos are not subsidized by any insurance company or the government. Incidences of matemal mortality. teenage pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS are rising as well, despite the deciine in these issues globally. ‘Access to Services Women seeking treatment for abortion are stil stigmatized, regardless of whether the abortion was self-induced or spontaneous. Patients are often scolded by doctors or ignored when availing of this care. Many leave before treatment occurs due to this discrimination, posing athreat to their health ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines has been increasing: specifically, a 65% rise from the years 2000 to 2010. One in ten teenage girls is pregnant or is already a mother. Teenage pregnancy poses a threat to both the mather and the child. Infants born to girts below 20 years old are 30% more likely to be victims of infant mortality whereas teenage mothers make up 20% of all maternal deaths in the Philippines. The reason for the increase in teenage pregnancy is the lack of information on sexual and reproductive health and nights (SRHR), comprehensive sex education both inside and outside the ‘school, and the universal access to contraceptives. Teenage pregnancy is also a factor for high drop outs rates — young mothers or fathers drop out of school to support their families or take care of their children The ground-breaking Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354) aims to address the gaps in reproductive health. It ‘quarantees universal access to all methods of family planning, fertility management, sexuality education, and maternal care’ for all Filipinos. It aims to be pro-women as it helps young girls take charge of their own bodies and pushes for adolescents’ access to SRHR information. The promotion of this information empowers adolescents to make informed choices about their bodies while respecting their autonomy. However, a part of this law states that persons below 18 years of age must have parental consent to avail of family planning services and contraception, unless that person has already been a parent or has had a miscarriage. Given the taboo nature of sex an sexuality in families, parents may not discuss this information with their children until it is too late. This provision may prevent young persons from accessing SRHR information because they do not want to approach their parents regarding this concem. The issues surrounding RA 10354 include proper implementation and the definition of ‘age-appropriate’ sexual reproductive health issues. o C=Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer ‘There must also be consultations with young girls and boys to customize the RH programs for their needs. Sexual and reproductive health and rights have a long way to go in the Philippines, with the right to education being hampered by the lack of access to SRHR information. Violence against Women 08) Violence against women (VAW) exists on a global scale, and affects millions of FN women on daly basis. Statistics on VAW show the reach of this gender-based epidemic, Globally, one in three women has experienced some form of VAW in her life, Of these women, one in five will have experienced attempted er actual rape in her lifetime. Furthermore, half of these victims are made up of gts below the age of sixteen worldwide. Up to 30% of women's first sexual encounter is forced or non-consensual Meanwhile, culture-specific violence such as bride burning, child brides, or female genital mutilation is stil practiced despite its Violation of the person's basic human nights. Specifically, 130 million girls annually have become victims of female genital mufilation, with 3 million giris at risk for this practice in Africa. Lastly, women make up 60% of the victims of human trafficking, showing that women are quite prone to becoming victims of violence due to their sex. Women and Armed Conflict Os. Armed confict is seen as a critical area of concem in terms of women's participation in peace panels and peacekeeping, as ‘well as in terms of their Victimization during confct around the globe. Included as well is the situation of women who have been displaced due to armed conflict oF are living in refugee camps, as well as those living under foreign occupation. ‘Tne UN Women Report states that only seven out of ten peace agreements had special provisions for gender in 206 In addition, the UN Women Report on Peace and Security cited 20% increase in peace agreements lasting at least two years and a 35% increase of the agreement lasting up to 15 years if women are included in the peace process. Despite this consideration, only 9% of those in peace negotiation tables were women based on stalistics from the year 1992 to year 2011. As for the UN military peacekeepers, only 3% are women. ‘A special form of victimization occurs for women in armed conflict. Women have gender- specific needs apart from the basic survival needs that other victims of conflict have. The Global Study on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) states that: Women and girls are disproportionately affected by crises. They are exposed to increased risk of violence, more likely to die than men in natural disasters and have less access to resources. Girls in conflict settings, for example, are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than those in countries at peace. Furthermore, women are often excluded from the decision-making processes that shape humanitarian planning and programming and as a consequence their specific needs are inadequately addressed. Due to women's socialized gender roles as the keepers of culture and bearers of a race, rape and sexual violence are seen as war tactics to instill fear in communities. Women in communities occupied by armed forces are prone to harassment or are made to enter domestic servitude. Many cases remain unreported because of the stigma that comes with sexual violence and because of the lack of awareness as to whom the case should be reported. Women's mobility is also affected, and their access to employment is hampered due to displacement. Others who hope to find work outside of their camps become victims of forced prostitution and human trafficking. a) 70Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer Support systems and responses for girls and women in current and former conflct-affected areas are lacking. The long-standing conflict in Mindanao has displaced 240,000 people as of 2009. Rido, or cian violence, as well as military occupation make indigenous Filipino women prone to harassment and sexual violence or displacement. Other issues faced by women include subhuman evacuation conditions, forced recruitment into rebel camps, kilings, abductions, psychosocial trauma, and hostage-taking. The Philippines has adopted international mechanisms to secure women's safety during times of conflict through the Philippine National Action Pian on Women, Peace, and Security (PNAPWPS). This action plan reflects Chapter 4 of the Magna Carta on Women: “All women shall bbe protected from all forms of violence as provided for the existing laws.” This protection includes ‘women's representation and role during roundtable discussions ion the peace process. ‘Women in Power and Politics ray ‘The number of women in parliamentary worldwide has doubled in the years since the implementation of the BPfA. However, women compose only 22% of the parliamentary today. Globally, 143 of 195 countries have constitutional provisions, to ensure gender equality. The Philippines made it to the top ten countries in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index for 2015. It has risen from 13" place to 7” of the 142 countries Surveyed in terms of gender equality. The markers for this study include education, health, ‘economic participation, and political empowerment. The Philippines ranks high in the said markers due to the number of women participating in the election process, as well as those in office. The 2016 elections show that 28,052, 138, registered voters were females whila only 26,311,708 were males. While no sex-disaggregated data are available for the 2016 election, the 2013 elections showed that 25% of those elected for the Senate and 27% of those elected for the House of Representatives were women. Despite the Philippines getting high marks for women’s political involvement, women in power still make up less than half of these elected. Similarly, analysis on the gap of political ‘empowerment between men and women is only available in the highest levels of the government ‘and does not include data at the local level. From the data, it can be concluded that gender equality in decision-making still has a long way to go. Some issues that hamper women's participation in the elections involve sex-role stereotypes and gendered assumptions. Women in the political sphere deal with the multiple burden of theic own political career and taking care of their families. Also, because women in politics are stereotyped by their roles, Filipino voters often look for someone who is aggressive and assertive. Moreover, women in positions of power may not even prioritize women's issues. Institutional Mechanisms and the Human Rights of Women ‘O ‘The Magna Carta of Women is a ground-breaking law that serves as the Od “comprehensive bill of rights for Filipino women,’ ensuring that gender equality is Hy met in various sectors. While this law will be discussed in depth in another chapter, it is important to note that it exists, and is @ major mechanism that enforces gender equality in the Philippines. It calls for the abolition of structures that cause gender inequality, and all forms of discrimination. Likewise, the Women’s Empowerment, Development, and Gender Equality (Women's EDGE) Plan for 2013-2016 is a framework pian for gender mainstreaming developed by the Philippine Commission on Women (POW), Gender equality and the advancement of women in the Philippines are accomplished under three tracks: (a) issuance of administrative memorandum circulars by PCW and partner 1 «Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer agencies across the three branches of government: (b) issuance of guidelines to enhance the capacity of agencies in gender planning; (c) lagisiative review o amend discriminatory provisions of existing laws and advocate for the passage of new ones to address festering and emerging gender issues The PCW notes that these initiatives are done in consultation with gender advocates from the public and private sectors. However, recommendations may not be reflected in the final plans and policies. Despite institutional mechanisms existing form women’s advancement, the human rights of women are still violated in various ways due to sexism and misogyny that pervade every aspect of society. For example, the struggle for the Reproductive Health Law shows that the issue of sex ‘overcomes the urgent need for reproductive health services that women, particularly the poor, need. Rampant sexism and violations against women on the basis of gender and sex occur, especially on certain laws that are anti-women. The Penal Code. for example, imposes a heavier consequence for women who commit adultery versus men. The law also gives the last say regarding joint property to the male spouse. While women may legally separate from their husbands, the patriarchal issues behind this separation, such as abuse in intimate relationships, remain undressed, Similarly, those who face harassment and gender-based violence have a hard time establishing their case and getting the authorities to believe them, despite the law clearly giving favor to the victims. Discrimination against the Girl-child oT The Beijing Platform for Action sees the girl-child as an important sector that faces numerous forms of injustice. Female children are particularly vulnerable 4 ‘due to their double oppression. Children are not old enough to be respected and treated as adults, and have less access to resources that the adults hold. ‘They are often dependent on adults to make decisions for them, They have few oF no representations at ail in decision-making bodies. In the same manner. girls are also treated ‘as women who are socialized to take on caregiving roles despite their young age. Women experience their first forms of discrimination during childhood. When this experience continues unti their adult life, it creates a systematic cycle of abuse. Globally, it is the Girl-child who is most vulnerable to harmful cultural practices. Because some cultures value boys over girls, giri-chikiren may fall victim to female infanticide and sex-selective abortion. In other «74son 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer ‘proper’ maternal and child care for women, it poses problems as some health facilities such as clinics and hospitals are far from their communities, furthermore, in some cases, indigenous women deal with ‘discriminatory attitudes and insensitiviies’ of mainstream health facilities. As mentioned earlier, child marriage is enother pressing issue in the indigenous communities Extractive industries such as mining operations are also matters that greatly affect women in the indigenous communities. Violence against indigenous women occurs when indigenous communities resist the intrusion of mining companies. Displacement of communities and serious health concerns due to negative environmental impacts such as water pollution are brought about by large-scale mining operations. Women IPs have to take care of their community members who are affected by pollution and are tasked to find other sources of water. ‘While IP women's issues overlap with the issues of other marginalized sectors, it must be noted that IP women face multiple opprassions. All IP groups face the fear of cultural erasure that may come with the push for globalization. Displacement and the destruction of their homes are also a concern, alongside environmental degradation and the militarization of their communities, However, the responsibility of keeping culture and peace falls on women as keepers of the household, Filipino Women in Other Sectors Musiim Women/Women in Islam Historically, the ‘Moros’ or Muslim in the Philippines were said to come from at least two sultanates in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan, during the pre-Hispanic era, They are now concentrated in the five provinces composing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In the vast array of resources pertaining to Muslims in the Philippines, information is limited with regard to disaggregated data on the population of women in the Musiim communities. However, there are references on the practices of Muslim women and narratives on some of the conditions they are facing in the current times. ‘Muslim women in the country are affected by armed conflict. They have become widows ‘and survivors, and consequently bear the burden of solely providing for their respective families. ‘Armed conflicts in Mindanao are reportedly concentrated in Muslim-majority areas and are considered one of the work's longest-running violent conficts. Also, when communities are displaced due to such situation, women and children are the majority among the internally displaced people. For example, in 2003, due to the war between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Moro Istamic Liberation Front, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that the number of displaced persons reached around 80,000, 70% of which were women and children, The status of the world’s women comes from NGO reports, specifically the UN reports. Multiple overlaps can be observed, yet some issues are more pervasive in the Philippines. The aforementioned NGO reports highlight the problems faced by women. It Is important to make a collective effort towards gender equality for all women from all sectors,Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer (2) ANALYSIS NAME: COURSE/YEAR: DATE: SCORE: Direction: Read each questions comprehensively. Answer the following questions and write your answer in the space provided in maximum of 50 words, 1. What’ areas of concern stand out from the rest? Expound your answer. 2. How does gender affect a woman's financial stability considering different aspects of their lives? 3. What do statistics on education say about women and literacy? 4. What could be the effect of women's insufficient access to health information and services? 5. Is the discrimination on women justified? Why or why not?COURSE/YEAR:. SCORE: Complete the task below “)» Direction: Think of two Filipino women that you consider to be a GOOD LEADER. Draw or paste their picture on the box being provid- | ed. Then write down their biographies. Afterwards, cite three reasons what makes them powerful in maximum of 50 words. ' \ 1 1 I 1 \ \ \ { 1 ' I ! ; { 4 \ | 1 \ \ 1 \ \ 1 \ 1 \ 1 I 1 1 \ \ 1 Hl photo \ 1 | \ \ \ 1 1 \ \ I 1 | oY \ | ff 1 1 ' NI FY ' \ ! _ FT 1 x Fs 1 ! { oo \ 1 1 ' 1 1 I I 1 1 photo 81 «Lesson 2 Women: A Sectoral Situationer © GLOSSARY The following terms are used in this module: ther of the two sexes (male and female), Gender jjendor especially when considered with reference | to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. the unjust or prejudicial treatment of Discrimination | da.skrima'naSH(an | different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex hittps:/rb.ay/epchtp https:/irb.gy/bpji2n Rodriguez, A. and Rodriguez A (2019) Gender and Society: The Whys of Women, Their Oppressions, and Paths to Liberation. C&E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City 84 «