THE Philippines’s performance in the Women, Business and the Law 2021 declined slightly, according to the World Bank.
Data from the report showed that the Philippines now scored an average of 78.8 out of 100 in the 2021 report, lower than the 81.3 score it posted in 2020.
The country shares the same score as Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kiribati and Tajikistan. The scores of these countries and the Philippines are still above the global average of 76.1 out of 100.
“Despite progress in many countries, there have been troubling reversals in a few, including restricting women’s travel without the permission of a male guardian. This pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities that disadvantage girls and women, including barriers to attend school and maintain jobs,” David Malpass, World Bank Group president, said.
“Women are also facing a rise in domestic violence and health and safety challenges. Women should have the same access to finance and the same rights to inheritance as men, and must be at the center of our efforts toward an inclusive and resilient recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
The scores of the economies were derived from eight indicators which “coincide with the various milestones a typical woman might experience or achieve in her lifetime.” These indicators are mobility, workplace, pay, marriage,
parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension.
The Philippines’s score was only 60 out of 100 in terms of marriage, parenthood and assets. The country’s score was 75 out of 100 in mobility and pension, but the Philippines scored 100 in workplace, pay and entrepreneurship.
5th in Asean
Compared to other economies in Southeast Asia, the Philippines’s score places it at 5th place in the region. Lao PDR posted the highest score at 88.1 out of 100 followed by Timor Leste at 83.1; Singapore, 82.5; and Vietnam, 81.9.
The rest of the economies in the region scored lower than the Philippines. Thailand scored 78.1 out of 100; Indonesia, 64.4; Myanmar, 59.4; Brunei Darussalam, 53.1; and Malaysia, 50.
“Countries need to create a legal environment that enhances women’s economic inclusion, so that they can make the best choices for themselves and their families,” Mari Pangestu, managing director of World Bank’s Development Policy and Partnerships, said.
Despite the pandemic, 27 economies in all regions and income groups enacted reforms across all areas and increased good practices in legislation in 45 cases during the year covered, the report found. The greatest number of reforms introduced or amended laws affecting pay and parenthood.
A total of 10 economies—Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden—scored 100, meaning that women are on an equal legal standing with men across all areas measured.
Of the 39 economies with scores higher than 90, at least 28 are OECD high-income economies, and seven are in Europe and Central Asia. The remaining four are in Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
However, the report said no economy in the Middle East and North Africa or South Asia scored 90 or higher.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila