THE POLITICS AND ECONOMICS OF GENDER

A. THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL: GENDER POLITICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

B. GENDER POLITICAL REPRESENTATIONS AND TOKENISM
C. GENDER AND LABOR
D. SEX WORK AND COMMODIFICATION
E. GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN VARIOUS ECONOMIC SYSTEM
GENDER LABOR- LABOR REFERS TO THE WORK OR TASKS THAT ARE TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
A PARTICULAR GENDER. FOR EXAMPLE, UNPAID DOMESTIC WORK, SUCH AS CLEANING, COOKING, AND
CARING FOR CHILDREN, IS OFTEN CONSIDERED "WOMEN'S WORK." ON THE OTHER HAND, PAID WORK
OUTSIDE OF THE HOME, SUCH AS MANUAL LABOR OR EXECUTIVE POSITIONS, IS OFTEN SEEN AS "MEN'S
WORK."

THE GENDER GAP - IS WHERE THERE IS NO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY GIVEN TO DIFFERENT GENDERS. FOR
EXAMPLE, BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN, MEN ALWAYS HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER WOMEN.

EXAMPLES OF GENDER GAP AMONG MEN AND WOMEN ARE:

1.Women are substantially less likely than men to participate in the labor market

2. Once in the workforce, they are also less likely to find jobs than men.

3. Access to quality employment opportunities remains restricted.

4. Women are more likely to work longer hours than men when both paid and unpaid work is taken
into account. Unpaid work includes house chores and taking care of children.

5. When in paid employment, on average, women work fewer hours for pay or profit either because
they opt to work part-time or because part-time work is the only option available to them.

Given where we are today and the women among us, can we say that women are now in a better place
in society?

SEX WORK COMMODIFICATION- Sex work refers to any form of work or service in which a person
engages in sexual activities with another person in exchange for money, goods, or services. This can
include prostitution, escort services, pornography, and exotic dancing, among other activities. Sex work
is a controversial topic, with debates surrounding its legality, morality, and the treatment of those who
engage in it. Some argue that sex work is a form of exploitation and should be criminalized, while others
believe that it should be decriminalized and regulated in order to protect the health and safety of sex
workers. Regardless of one's views on sex work, it is important to recognize that sex workers are human
beings with inherent dignity and deserve to be treated with respect and compassion

Commodification refers to the process of turning goods, services, or other objects that were previously
not considered as commodities into marketable products that can be bought and sold for profit. It
involves the transformation of something that was not previously viewed as having economic value into
a commodity that can be bought, sold, and traded in the marketplace.
"SHOULD PROSTITUTION AND PORNOGRAPHY BE LEGALIZED?"

GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN VARIOUS ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO) SAYS ABOUT THE CURRENT WORKFORCE

PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN GENERAL IN VARIOUS ECONOMIC SYSTEMS.

Having a spouse or partner reduces the probability for women to participate in the labor market in
emerging, developed, and the Arab States and Northern African (ASNA) countries. In developing
countries, however, the effect is reversed: partnerships/marriage have a positive effect on participation
(3.3 percentage points). This latter finding highlights the economic necessity to work, despite
partnership status, in developing countries.

• Women suffering from severe poverty are more likely to participate, irrespective of gender
norms. In developing countries, the probability of participating in the workforce increases by 7.8
percent; in emerging, by 6.4 percent; in ASNA, two regions with the widest gap in participation
rates, the probability increases further, at 12.9 percent.

• Globally, the lack of affordable care for children or family members affects women's
participation negatively. In ASNA countries, it decreases the probability to participate by 6.2
percentage points; in developing countries by 4.8 percentage points; and in developed countries
by 4.0 percentage points. Having children however, has a small negative effect on participation
but it is not significant, in developing countries, there is a small positive effect (0.7 percentage
points).

• Limited access to safe transportation is the greatest challenge to participation that women face
in developing countries, reducing their participation probability by 15.5 percentage points.

• Religions embody a complex system of values that extends to gender roles. In developing
countries, the probability to participate is substantially reduced by religion, a proxy indicator for
more restrictive gender role conformity. In developed and emerging countries, the results are
mixed: in some cases, the effect is positive, in others negative.
GENDER POLITICAL REPRESENTATIONS AND TOKENISM

Political representation refers to the process by which people's voices and interests are represented in
government and political decision-making processes. It involves electing individuals to represent the
views and concerns of a particular group of people or community, and ensuring that they have a say in
policy-making and legislative processes.

Gender representation, on the other hand, refers to the fair and equal representation of men, women,
and people of different gender identities in various areas of society, including politics, business,
education, and media. It involves ensuring that all genders have equal opportunities and are not
discriminated against based on their gender identity.

Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing,
especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups to give the appearance
of sexual or racial equality within a workforce. More often in the workplace and the government, those
people from the underrepresented groups like LGBT+ that successfully get the job especially high ranks
or important roles are just there as mere decoration to give the illusion that there is no discrimination in
the workplace, or that there is equal opportunity for all genders but are not make allowed to have a
voice or make the decisions.

THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL: GENDER POLITICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

ARE LAWS AND POLICIES MADE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND COUNTRY?

OR IT JUST SERVE THE ENTITLED

AND THOSE IN POWER?

GENDER ISSUES

refer to a broad range of social, political, and cultural concerns related to the roles, behaviors, and
expectations associated with being male or female in a given society. These issues can include
inequalities and disparities in access to education, employment, healthcare, and political participation,
as well as issues related to gender-based violence, sexual harassment and assault, and discrimination
against individuals who do not conform to traditional gender norms.

Gender issues also encompass discussions around gender identity, which refers to one's internal sense
of being male, female, both, or neither, and the challenges faced by individuals who do not identify with
the gender assigned to them at birth. These issues can include access to healthcare, legal recognition of
gender identity, and protections against discrimination.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT - It occurs when an individual is unable to perform a task due to unwelcome and
unwanted sexual advances by either the same or opposite sex. Forms of sexual harassment include
sexist remarks, vulgar sexual language, and covert physical contact (deliberate and improper touching of
private and sensitive body parts, patting) especially in the workplace.

LOW WAGES- Gender discrimination remains responsible for sizeable differences in pay among the
sexes. Greed accounts for the employers’ noncompliance to the equal treatment of female workers
regarding their deserved salaries. They typically toil for long hours with low wage rate but contribute
significantly to family income compensated through overtime work.

EQUAL WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND PROMOTIONS-Women oftentimes encounter attitudinal or

organizational biases that prevent them from reaching their full potentials in the workplace. They are
often blocked from top management positions in business and industries.

SEXIST ADVERTISING AND MUSIC- The media has often been criticized for the stereotyping of women
and exploiting them via sexy advertisements (portraying them in skimpy swimsuits almost naked). They
are viewed as sex objects, satisfying male’s appetite and libido.

EQUAL WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND PROMOTIONS-Women oftentimes encounter attitudinal or

organizational biases that prevent them from reaching their full potentials in the workplace. They are
often blocked from top management positions in business and industries.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE- Domestic violence is a global problem and is harsher in societies that devalue
certain family members like children born out of wedlock, stepchildren, disabled children or women in
general. The oppressive situation of battered women is so intolerable that it has been compared to that
of prison inmates.

WORKING MOTHERS- Gone are the days when a woman’s place is in the house. The Filipina mother
has metamorphosed from a responsible loving homemaker to an empowered career woman.

ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY- Adolescent pregnancies create health risks for both mother and child.
Moreover, adolescent parents are more likely to have low-paying, low-status jobs or be unemployed
than those who delay childbearing. They tend to have less-desirable child-rearing practices and less
realistic experiences for their babies’ development.

MEN’S ISSUES
The early beginnings of men’s movements date back to the 70’s and 80’s. a certain Herbet Goldberg
stressed that men cannot sense and articulate their problems and feelings. His important message to
men is to become more attuned to their inner self and emotions and work on developing more positive
close relationships

SEXUAL HARASSMENT- Sexual harassment involving male victims is a reality, but very few cases are
reported. Prisons are vulnerable settings for sexual harassments. The absence of heterosexual partners
in prison cells make men turn to the same gender for sexual favors and release.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAYS AND LESBIANS

-People harbor many misconceptions against gays and lesbians, otherwise known as the “third sex.”
They not only suffer harassment and discrimination but have minimal rights under the law.

ADOLESCENT FATHERS- Adolescent fathers have lower incomes, are less-educated and have more
children. As soon as they are out of school, they land low-paying jobs. Most young fathers have little
notion of what a father’s role is.

AGE DISCRIMINATION- One of the horrors of becoming old is age discrimination. In a lot of business,
there are instances when workers are laid off and replaced by younger workers, ignoring the capability
and experience of aged workers still able to perform efficiently. Even if some elders are still capable of
working, they are no longer hired in companies.

GENDER ROLE DEVELOPMENT- In the Philippines, human resource is considered one of the most
important assets of an organization. Both males and females constitute the workforce. Whatever are
their statuses and roles in life and in the workplace, both men and women affect the organization either
positively or negatively. To achieve excellence and high productivity, an organization has to exert effort
in empowering its workforce.

Under RA 9262, acts of violence against women and their children include physical violence, sexual
violence, psychological violence, economic abuse, and other forms of abuse. The law also provides for
protection orders that can be issued by the court to prevent further acts of violence and to ensure the
safety of the victim and their children
RA 9262 is an important legal framework for addressing the issue of violence against women and
children in the Philippines, and it serves as a reminder of the government's obligation to protect and
promote the rights and welfare of all individuals, regardless of gender or age.

The law mandates the government to conduct awareness-raising campaigns, provide counseling and
support services for victims, and promote gender sensitivity and equality in all aspects of society.