LESSON 1.

3
Issuances that Promote Gender Equality

Lesson Outcomes

After completing this part of the module, you must have:

1. identified the salient points of the issuances that promote

gender equality; and
2. drafted your own plan furthering the call for gender equality.

Activate

To start with this lesson, please look at the three pictures below. Which
do you think best represents the Philippine situation? Put a check on your choice.
Using the space provided, please justify your answer in just two (2) sentences.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Introduction

1
 Your answer is a reflection of what you have experienced as a member of
your community or the bigger society. If you have chosen the middle picture,
then you are blessed because you have witnessed the kind of balance we all
want to achieve but we still have to sustain it. If you have chosen either of the
two pictures at the sides, then you have seen the power dynamics within a
community or society leading to unequal status of women and men and this
needs to be given attention.

Lesson 1.1 has given you the idea that development is attaining a full and
satisfying life for all and it is everyone’s responsibility. To help attain the kind of
development that we all aspire, there is a need for laws and policies that will give
direction as to where we are heading to.

Lesson 1.2 tried to examine gender issues brought about by stereotyping

which prevents people from contributing their fullest for societal development.
Though these seem part of culture. However, we can still change culture.

There are various national and international issuances wherein gender

and development initiatives of the government are anchored. These issuances
not only serve as a policy framework for a unified understanding of what needs to
be done but also signify the commitment of each member state toward ensuring
gender equality.

You may observe that these policies and issuances all geared toward
protecting the rights of women. Again, we would like to reiterate that this is
because gender biases are experienced more by women than men.

The following laws and issuances were taken from www.pcw.gov.ph

A. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

against Women (CEDAW)

CEDAW, also known as the

International Bill of Rights of Women, was
adopted by the United Nations in 1979 and
took effect on September 3, 1981. There
were 188 State Parties that agreed to
implement the provisions of the agreement
each of which has signified to take appropriate
measures against all forms of discrimination
and exploitation of women. The agreement or
treaty has 30 articles defines discrimination against women as "any distinction,
exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose
of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women,
irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of

2
human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social,
cultural, civil, or any other field.”

As a United Nations member state, the Philippines have adopted the

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) in 1979.

B. Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA)

The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) was the resulting document of the
Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995 adopted in
consensus by the United Nations (UN). It is during this Conference the
governments and the UN agreed to promote gender mainstreaming as a strategy
to ensure that a gender perspective is reflected in all policies and programs at the
national, regional and international levels. The BPfA represents the international
community’s commitment towards the promotion of women’s welfare and aims at
accelerating the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women.

Following the Fourth World

Conference on Women, the United
Nations General Assembly mandated the
United Nations’ Commission on the
Status of Women to integrate into its
program a follow-up process to the
Conference, regularly reviewing
the critical areas of concern in the
BPFA and to develop its role in
mainstreaming a gender perspective in
UN activities.

In 1996, the Commission adopted a multi-year program of work based on

the 12 critical areas of concern identified in the BPfA for the period of 1997-2000.
Subsequent work programs were adopted in 2001 and most recently in 2006
based on the BPFA and the Beijing+5 Outcome Document. In March 2010,
the UN General Assembly convened a commemorative meeting during the 54th
Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in order to mark the 15th
anniversary of the adoption of the BPfA.

3
 C. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Being a State Party to the United Nations

Millennium Declaration in 2000 that gave birth to
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the
Philippine government is committed to ensure that
the country’s development planning efforts focus
on an MDG-responsive policy framework and
legislation to eradicate poverty and achieve
sustainable human development.

The third MDG focuses on promoting

gender equality and women empowerment which
include (1) ratios of girls to boys in primary,
secondary and tertiary education, (2) share of
women in wage employment in the non-
agricultural sector, and (3) proportion of seats held
by women in national parliament. While having a
goal focused for women, it is also evident that
gender issues are present in all the other goals.
Thus, addressing gender issues, which cut across
all the goals, will effectively contribute to the
attainment of the MDGs.

The 2015 report on the accomplishment of

these goals revealed the following:
 The developing countries as a whole have achieved the target to eliminate
gender disparity in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
 Globally, about three quarters of working-age men participate in the labour
force, compared to half of working-age women.
 Women make up 41 per cent of paid workers outside of agriculture, an
increase from 35 per cent in 1990.
 The average proportion of women in parliament has nearly doubled over the
past 20 years.
 Women continue to experience significant gaps in terms of poverty, labour
market and wages, as well as participation in private and public decision-
making.
 Since 1990, the maternal mortality ratio has been cut nearly in half, and most
of the reduction occurred since 2000.
 More than 71 per cent of births were assisted by skilled health personnel
globally in 2014, an increase from 59 per cent in 1990.
 Globally, there were an estimated 289,000 maternal deaths in 2013.
 After years of slow progress, only half of pregnant women receive the
recommended amount of antenatal care.

D. The Sustainable Development Goals

4
 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global
Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a
universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all
people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—that is, they recognize that action in one
area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social,
economic and environmental sustainability.

Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have committed

to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDGs are
designed to bring the world to several life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero
poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.

Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity,

knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary
to achieve the SDGs in every context.

SDG Goal #5: Gender Equality

Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic
human right, it’s crucial for sustainable future; it’s proven that empowering
women and girls helps economic growth and development.

UNDP has made gender equality central to its work and we’v e seen
remarkable progress in the past 20 years. There are more girls in school now
compared to 15 years ago, and most regions have reached gender parity in
primary education.

5
 Although there are more women than ever in the labor market, there are
still large inequalities in some regions, with women systematically denied the
same work rights as men. Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal
division of unpaid care and domestic work, and discrimination in public office
all remain huge barriers. Climate change and disasters continue to have a
disproportionate effect on women and children, as do conflict and migration.

It is vital to give women equal rights land and property, sexual and
reproductive health, and to technology and the internet. Today there are more
women in public office than ever before, but encouraging more women leaders
will help achieve greater gender equality.

Time Out 1 ( Activity 6

Apply

E. Magna Carta of Women

The MCW is a comprehensive women's

human rights law that seeks to eliminate
discrimination through the recognition, protection,
fulfilment and promotion of the rights of Filipino
women, especially those belonging in the
marginalized sectors of the society. It conveys a
framework of rights for women based directly on
international law.

The MCW establishes the Philippine

government’s pledge of commitment to
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women's (CEDAW)
Committee in its 36th Session in 2006 and to the UN Human Rights Council on
its first Universal Periodic Review in 2009. It is the local translation of the
provisions of the CEDAW, particularly in defining gender discrimination, state
obligations, substantive equality, and temporary special measures. It also
recognizes human rights guaranteed by the international Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Salient features of the law include:

 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;

6
  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.

 Provision for equal access and elimination of discrimination in education,

scholarships, and training. Thus, "expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting
enrollment, and other related discrimination of women students and faculty
due to pregnancy out of marriage shall be outlawed.

 Non-discriminatory and non-derogatory portrayal of women in media and

film to raise the consciousness of the general public in recognizing the
dignity of women and the role and contribution of women in family,
community, and the society through the strategic use of mass media;

 Equal status given to men and women on the titling of the land and
issuance of stewardship contracts and patents.

In addition to guaranteeing substantive rights, the MCW establishes the

responsibility of the government to take actions in order to end discrimination
against women. It provides that the Philippines government must "ensure the
substantive equality of men and women" and mandates the State to take steps to
review, amend or repeal existing laws that are discriminatory towards women.

The Government, in its entirety, shall fulfill these duties through the
development and implementation of laws, policies, regulatory instruments,
administrative guidelines, and other appropriate measures. It shall also establish
mechanisms to promote the coherent and integrated implementation of the MCW
and other related laws and policies to effectively stop discrimination against
Filipino women.

The MCW mandates all government offices, including government-owned and

controlled corporations and local government units to adopt gender
mainstreaming as a strategy for implementing the law and attaining its objectives.
It also mandates (a) planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation for gender
and development, (b) the creation and/or strengthening of gender and
development focal points, and (c) the generation and maintenance of gender
statistics and sex-disaggregated databases to aid in planning, programming and
policy formulation.

7
F. CHED Memorandum Circular 1, series of 2015 – Establishing the
Policies and Guidelines on Gender and Development in the Commission on
Higher Education and Higher Education Institutions

Pursuant to the mandate of the Magna Carta of Women,

the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) directs the
institutionalization of the policies and guidelines that will ensure
promotion of the pertinent provisions of the Magna Carta of
Women into the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The
memorandum covers the creation of the GAD Focal Point
System in every HEI and the integration of gender and
development concerns in their programs, projects, and activities.

Assess ( Quiz 2) ( Unit Exam)

References

Ballantine J. & Roberts, K. (2011). Our Social World:

Introduction to Sociology.
3rd ed. London: Sage Publications.

Dutton, G. (2020). Salary report highlights growing gender pay gap and other
vital data. Biospace. Retrieved from https://biospace.com

Fichter, J. (1957). Sociology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Ginsberg, M. (1950). Sociology. Oxford University Press.

Maclver R. & Page, C. (1950). Society: An Introductory Analysis. London:

Macmillan

Macionis, J. (2012). Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Robertson, I. (1977). Sociology. Worth Publishers.

Sax (2005). Why Gender Matters. What Parents and Teachers Need to Know
About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Doubleday.

Zulueta, F.M. (2011). Anthropological and Sociological Concepts and

Perspectives. Manila: National Book Store

8
CHED Memorandum Order 1, series of 2015

Websites

https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/sociology-comprehensive-edition/s08-02-
the-development-of-modern-soci.html

https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/sociology-comprehensive-edition/s08-02-
the-development-of-modern-soci.html

www.pcw.gov.ph
www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org
www.un.org
www.unwomen.org
www.investingwomen.asia