WEEK 13-14: Women Development and the World
A. Sectoral situationer will given an overview of
the condition of women both in the Philippines and
around the globe in relation to oppression.
i. Women and Work – often invisibilized due to
their socialized gender roles.
ii. Women and Education – Gender parity in
primary education is present not just in the
Philippines, also in the rest of the world, with
girls performing better than boys in some
regions.
iii. Women and Health – access to health care
and health services constitute issues
surrounding women and health, as well as a
woman’s emotional, psychological, and and
social wellness.
iv. Violence against women (VAW) exists on a
global scale, affects millions of women daily
v. Women in Armed Conflict – armed conflict is
seen as a critical area of concern in terms of
women’s participation in peace panels and
peacekeeping, as well as in terms of their
victimization during conflict around the globe.
vi. Women in Power and Politics – the number of
women in parliament worldwide has doubled
in the years since the implementation of the
Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA)
vii. The Magna Carta for Women groundbreaking
law that serves as the “comprehensive bill of
rights for Filipino women”.
viii. Discrimination against the Girl-Child – the
BPfA sees the girl child as an important sector
that faces numerous forms of injustice.
ix. Women and the Environment – talks about
the environment have remained mostly
genderneutral. It has been named as a critical
area of concern due to the disproportional
impact of environmental issues on women.
x. Women and Disaster – the accelerating effects
of climate change have increased the
unpredictability of the weather systems
around the world.
xi. Women in the Indigenous Communities –
there are 14-17 million indigenous peoples in
the Philippines belonging to 110 ethno-
linguistic groups.
xii. Filipino Women in Other Sectors –Muslim
women in the country are affected by armed
conflict.
WEEK 15: Gender Interest and Needs
A. Gender analysis helps us understand that there
is a difference between practical needs and
strategic interests.
i. Practical needs immediate necessities (basic
needs such as water, food, income, shelter).
ii. Strategic interests pertain to the relative
status of women and men within their society.
Philippines Law on Women
1. Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710)
– landmark legislation in the Philippines that aims
to protect and promote the rights and welfare of
women. Enacted in 2009, the law is comprehensive
and addresses various aspects of women's lives
2. Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (Republic Act No.
7877) – aims to prevent and address sexual
harassment in various settings, including the
workplace, educational institutions, and other
contexts. Enacted in 1995, the law defines sexual
harassment and provides mechanisms for
reporting and addressing cases of sexual
harassment.
- The above acts would result in an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive environment.
3. Anti-Violence Against Women and Their
Children Act (Republic Act No. 9262) – law enacted
in 2004 that aims to protect and support women
and their children who are victims of violence. The
law recognizes various forms of violence.
4. Reproductive Health Law (Republic Act No.
10354) – known as the Responsible Parenthood
and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, aims to
promote and protect the reproductive health
rights of individuals, particularly women. It seeks to
provide access to information, services, and
methods for responsible parenthood, family
planning, and reproductive health.
5. Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (Republic Act No.
9208) – aims to prevent and address human
trafficking. Enacted in 2003, the law defines human
trafficking, establishes penalties for offenders, and
provides protection and support for victims.
6. Solo Parents' Welfare Act (Republic Act No.
8972) – known as the Solo Parents' Act of 2000, is a
Philippine law that aims to provide support and
assistance to solo parents in their responsibilities
and challenges. It recognizes the valuable role of
solo parents in raising their children and seeks to
ensure their well-being and social protection.
7. Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act
(Republic Act No. 10028) – enacted in 2009 that
aims to promote and support breastfeeding as a
vital aspect of maternal and child health.
8. Safe Spaces Act (RA11313) – an act defining
gender-based sexual harassment in streets, public
spaces, online, workplaces, and educational or
training institutions, providing protective measures.
- Gender-Based Streets and Public Spaces Sexual
Harassment. – The crimes of gender -based
streets and public spaces sexual harassment are
committed through any unwanted and
uninvited sexual actions. Ex. Catcalling
- Sec. 16. Gender-Based Sexual Harassment in the
Workplace. – The crime of gender-based sexual
harassment in the workplace.
- Sec. 17. Duties of Employers. – Employers or
other persons of authority, influence or moral
ascendancy in a workplace shall have the duty to
prevent, or punish the performance of acts of
gender-based sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Sec. 20. Routine Inspection. – (DOLE) for the
private sector and the Civil Service Commission
(CSC) for the public sector shall conduct yearly
spontaneous inspections to ensure compliance of
employers and employees with their obligations
under this Act.
WEEK 16: Gender Issue
Gender Issues — Any issue or concern determined
by gender-based and/or sex-based differences
between women and men.
Gender Issue are reflected through;
- Gender Roles
- Gender Relations
- Gender Division of Labor
- Manifestation of Gender Bias
Biological Determinism
— traditional view that the biological differences
between males and females determines gender
(roles, responsibilities, and relations).
Male = man = masculine = dominant/superior
Female = woman = feminine = submissive/inferior
— Theory that biological differences dictate a
difference in social roles and personality
Unequal gender relations
— Hierarchy between masculinity and femininity,
between men and women: "men are strong,
women are weak."
Gender Issues
 Gender stereotype - generalized view about
characteristics, or the roles that are or ought
to be possessed by women and men.
 Stereotyping - Tendency or attitude to assign
fixed, unquestioned, unexamined beliefs and
perceptions about women and men. Making
Assumptions about a person based on popular
generalizations about the group which belong.
 Sexism - hierarchally valued distinction
between gender roles and responsibilities.
Discrimination based on one’s sex gender.
 Gender-Based Discrimination - Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW): any distinction,
exclusion or restriction made on the basis of
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression which has the purpose or effect of
denying equal exercise of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in all fields of human
endeavor.
 Discrimination - prejudice against a person
based on arbitrarily attributed characteristic
(gender pay gap, glass ceiling)
 Discrimination (Sexism) - Prejudicial treatment
against a person or group considered different
from a larger or more powerful group
 Subordination - Women are considered
second-class citizens ("Women, submit to your
husbands.") Occupying a lower stratum in a
hierarchy of relations, such as based on gender
- Women have less access and control over the
resources and benefits
- Men continue to dominate the corporate world,
politics and sports
 Multiple Burden - Women perform several
tasks and responsibilities despite their limited
time and energy
- Women's multiple burdens: bahay, bana, bata,
baboy, bayan
 Marginalization - a condition where a whole
category of people is excluded from useful and
meaningful participation. - leaving women out
of situation analysis, issue identification,
agenda-setting, strategy formulation, decision-
making processes, responses (reproductive
work is not real work, workers in the informal
economy are not real workers)
 Objectification - men as THE human, women
as LESS THAN human, thus, OBJECTS for men's
purposes (hyper sexualization in ads, video
games: pornography: prostitution)
WEEK 17: Gender Problems - Gender equality aims to eliminate discrimination
and create a level playing field, while gender equity
 Violence - sexual harrasment, violence in seeks to promote fairness and justice by
intimate relationship, rape, trafficking. addressing systemic barriers and providing
 Exploitation - Taking advantage of a person for targeted support to those who need it most. Both
increased benefits and decrease cost. concepts are important for achieving gender
 Oppression (Violence) - Systematic control justice and promoting social and economic
over another person, usually involves different development.
institutions as mechanism of control.
 Patriarchy - culture that systematically Gender Inequality — unequal treatment and
privileges a certain group - heterosexual, opportunities that individuals face their gender. It
masculine - while disadvantaging others. is a systemic problem that affects individuals,
communities, and societies.
Equality, Equity and Inequality
Gender Inequity - a lack of fairness or justice for
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) women or people of a certain gender. It occurs
- The SDGs are a set of 17 goals adopted by the when people face discrimination, fewer
United Nations General Assembly in 2015 as part opportunities, and increased violence because of
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. their gender.
- The 17 SDGs cover a range of issues related to
social, economic, and environmental sustainability,
including poverty, hunger, health, education,
gender equality, clean water and sanitation,
affordable and clean energy, decent work and
economic growth, industry, innovation and
infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable
cities and communities, responsible consumption
and production, climate action, life below water,
life on land, peace, justice, and strong institutions,
and partnerships for the goals. Each goal includes a
set of specific targets and indicators to be achieved
by 2030.
- The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for
gender equality is SDG 5, which is part of the 17
SDGs adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

Gender equality — idea that all individuals,

regardless of their gender, should have the same
rights, opportunities, and treatment. It focuses on
ensuring that women and men have equal access.

Gender equity — idea that individuals should

be treated fairly and justly, taking into account
their unique needs and circumstances. It
recognizes that men and women may have
different needs and experiences based on their
gender, and seeks to address these differences by
providing resources and support that are tailored
to each individual's situation.