THEY saw Maria Clara.
And a marketing agency said she’s no longer the woman Jose Rizal embodied in his opus “Noli Me Tangere.”
Owing to those whose blood drenched the road to freedom, today’s women now have a choice: go to school or not; vote or boycott; bear children or not; and, run for office or against officials.
“Maria Clara used to simply accept her fate. Today, the Filipina’s actions are driven by her own motivations. She takes charge of her life and she feels proud to be herself, a study by the local operations of Wunderman Thompson LLC said in a recent study published on “The Modern Filipina.”
Generally, according to the study, the Modern Pinay shares the same goal as her male counterparts: financial independence.
Pandemic, priority
BASED on the study’s findings, financial independence is among the top priorities of 24 percent of women aged between 16 and 24 years old or members of the Gen Z generation; 34 percent, 25 to 44 years old or the Millennials; 35 percent, 45 to 54 years old or Gen X; and 40 percent, over 54 years old or the Boomers.
While this is the priority, women admitted that saving money is among the most challenging for them along with managing expectations and their own stress. This has been observed specifically during the pandemic when the whole world was forced to stay at home.
Nonetheless, the resolve of the modern Filipina is strong. Her confidence in herself and abilities is stronger as 94 percent of the respondents showed they are certain that they will be able to achieve their goals. The data showed 84 percent of respondents believed that Filipinas are more capable than what is expected from their gender.
“As she continues to struggle against challenges both old and new, she evolves to thrive despite the rapid changes in our time while holding fast to the values and beliefs that define her as a Filipina, Wunderman Thompson Philippines’s study said.
“Filipinas believe that their gender gives them power to succeed in whatever they set out to do as mothers, daughters, citizens and career women, it added.
Other findings
THE study by Wunderman Thompson Philippines showed that while there are similarities between Maria Clara and the Modern Filipina, the differences are significant.
For one, the majority of Filipinas today, about 90 percent of respondents, said they strongly believed that education is a necessity in today’s world. Some 84 percent believe that their parents prioritized their education even as children.
These are supported by official government statistics. Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), functional literacy is higher among females at 92.9 percent versus the 90.2 percent recorded in the 2019 “Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey” or Flemms. The same is true for basic literacy where 97.1 percent of women have basic literacy compared to only 95.9 percent among males.
While there are more males than females whose highest educational attainment are elementary undergraduates and graduates as well as junior high undergraduates and graduates, by the time they reach Senior high and higher levels of learning, there are more females. There are more females who graduated from college at 13.7 percent compared to only 9.8 percent of male students, the Flemm survey revealed.
The courses chosen by Filipinas also support their desire to be financially independent.
Based on data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for School Year 2019 to 2020, the most common field of study of those enrolled in College is Business Administration.
Women’s education
BASED on CHED data for School Year 2018 and 2019, other popular courses among females are: Education Science and teacher training; engineering and technology; IT-related disciplines; and, medical and allied courses.
Choosing these courses, Wunderman Thompson Philippines’s data showed, was not influenced by their parents.
Some 52 percent of respondents chose their course because they were interested in the topic. A third (33 percent) said they felt the course would help them get a suitable job while 29 percent of respondents said they chose their course because they know it will help them make money; while another 29 percent said their course would lead them to a specific job or career.
“More Filipinas choose their college courses considering their own interests as well as the future career it may lead to, over their parents preferences,” Wunderman Thompson Philippines’s study revealed. “Majority of the Filipinas surveyed want to see more women studying Stem (85 percent) seeing that there is a real need for more people in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).”
For Rizal’s sheltered Maria Clara, going to work was inconceivable; even taboo.
But today’s Filipina is bold and committed to carving out a niche for her talents and skills. She is determined to be a career woman not out of arrogance but to provide herself agency and support a future family.
Engaging in occupation
BEING able to work and support themselves allows more Filipinas to have a say in the family’s finances and are now more confident in their financial know-how, the Wunderman Thompson study noted. Having their own money also gives them the freedom and affords them “guiltless” joy to reap the “fruits of their hard work.”
Based on PSA data, despite the desire of Filipinas to work, the labor force participation of females in the country was 53.1 percent in March 2021 compared to the 76.8 percent of males during the period. Around 7.8 percent are unemployed and another 13.4 percent are underemployed. Some 92.2 percent of women in the labor force are employed.
However, Filipinas seem to carry an entrepreneurial spirit. As of December 2020, PSA data showed more women registered their own businesses compared to men. Over half a million or 520,629 new business registrations were owned by women. In terms of business name renewal, some 39,919 are women-owned, also higher than their male counterparts.
Women are also doing better than men in the Philippines, particularly when poverty is considered.
Based on the 2018 poverty statistics, the poverty incidence among women is slightly lower at 16.6 percent compared to men at 16.8 percent. This may be due to the occupation held by women who are working in the service and sales sector while men are engaged in elementary occupations that receive lower pay.
Responsibility, career
GOVERNMENT statisticians said that the Filipina in 2021 has more agency to decide on what she will do with her life— both in the pursuit of a fulfilling career or the creation of her family.
“She owns her spirituality, her body and her finances. She also sees it as her responsibility to help other Filipinas do the same.”
This may be the reason many Filipino women prefer to delay marriage and having children.
Wunderman Thompson Philippines data showed more women (27 percent) are deciding to marry and have children later compared to the 23 percent recorded in 2017. Further, the data showed “there is now a little more openness to pursue a childfree life.”
Based on the results, some 12 percent of respondents do not have plans to have kids, higher compared to the 8 percent recorded in 2017. The data also showed that 24 percent are not sure if they will have children or might have kids when they are older while 28 percent said they don’t want to have children so they can focus on their careers.
Data also showed 22 percent said they would rather spend their time doing things like traveling while 11 percent said they do not personally want to have children. Despite this, Filipinas believe they have not lost their family-oriented natures. Around 79 percent of respondents believe this makes them unique.
Taking care of family
SUCCESS for Gen Z Filipinas means having a career related their passions and interests and taking care of their family. For Millennials, these are: good health; happiness; and, taking care of their families.
For Filipinas considered members of the “Gen X,” success means financial independence, raising healthy and happy children and taking care of their families; for Boomers, maintaining strong connections with family and friends.
The government’s data showed that in 2019, about one in every three married between the ages or 25 and 29 years old, in which men and women comprise 36.5 percent and 36.2 percent, respectively, of the total number of recorded marriages. Over 20 percent of women aged 20 and 24 also married in 2019.
Less than 20 percent of women married between 30 and 34 years old while less than 10 percent married between 35 and 39 years old and 40 and 44 years old. Less than five percent of women married between 45 and 49 years old; 50 and 54 years old; 55 and 59 years old; and 60 and over.
“But despite this openness to delay marriage or being childfree, Filipinas still believe that taking care and being with their families are indicative of a life well-lived,” Wunderman Thompson Philippines noted.
Official data
DESPITE the importance afforded by women and their families to their education and welfare, the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) believes it is the lack of education and poverty that causes thousands of teenagers to become pregnant and significantly reduce their chances for a good life.
“Social determinants like poverty, poor education status of mothers (of the teens), cultural beliefs (intergenerational), geography (poor communities in urban areas have difficult access to health centers which are fixed), all lead to poor health-seeking behavior and choices made by mothers,” Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio A. Perez III told the BusinessMirror.
Official government data showed babies born to adolescent mothers—those younger than 20 years old—reached 180,916 and this was more than three times the number of babies sired by adolescent fathers at 52,734, based on the 2019 births statistics that was only released in January 2021.
The PSA data also showed that “high-risk” age of pregnancy covering the age group 17 years old and younger accounted for 3.7 percent of births and, notably, 35 years old and over accounting for 15.8 percent. Childbearing in these age groups, PSA said, is more likely to have complications during pregnancy and labor that may result in higher morbidity and mortality to both mother and child.
Three regions
ABOUT 10.7 percent of the births in 2019 were to mothers aged 15 to 19 years old, while around 16 percent were to mothers 35 years old and over. Moreover, the adolescent birth rate, or the number of births to women ages 15 to 19 per 1,000 women in that age group, was 34 per 1,000 women in 2019.
The career and financial stability goals of women become more complicated with the birth of a child, especially when a child is born out of wedlock. Nearly a million or 917,242 births, representing 54.8 percent of all births in 2019, included children who were illegitimate.
The PSA said the three regions that recorded the highest number of illegitimate children based on usual residence of the mother were the top three economic regions of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) accounting for 16 percent; NCR (National Capital Region), 15.8 percent; and, Central Luzon, 11.3 percent.
The data also showed that in terms of the age group of mothers, the highest proportion of illegitimate births wase to adolescent mothers aged under 15. Of the total number of babies born to adolescent mothers, 95.9 percent were illegitimate.
This was followed by births to adolescent mothers aged 15 to 19 years old and mothers aged 20 years old to 24 years old, with 89.4 percent and 71.6 percent, respectively, of births being illegitimate.
Health rights
ON the other hand, the least proportion of illegitimate babies at 25.6 percent was to mothers aged 45 years old and over.
“Comprehensive sexuality education from grade five was part of the RPRH (Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health) law in 2012 but only implemented by DepEd (Department of Education) in three regions in October 2020 under difficult pandemic situations. Cordillera and Region 3 (Central Luzon) are reporting increased teen pregnancy in 2020,” Perez also said.
“Furthermore, before the RPRH law was passed in 2012, teen mothers and pregnant minors had no problem accessing family planning services. However, the Supreme Court closed that access because there was no compelling reason for the government to intervene (no declaration of emergency),” he added.
Perez earlier said in a forum that one of the worrying trends is that births among these teen mothers were sired by older fathers.
“Births among minor mothers are generally sired by older fathers (20 and above) at 64 percent, with only 36 percent of fathers aged 10-19 who were reported or who have acknowledged the births,” Perez said.
Even hospitals
OF the 62,341 births from mothers aged 10 to 17, some 26,971 were sired by fathers aged 20 to 29 years old. This includes the birth of a child born of a 10-year old and 11-year old mother.
Based on the data shared by Perez, another 11-year-old gave birth to a child sired by a 52-year-old; a 14-year-old mother gave birth to a child sired by a 61-year-old; two 15 year olds giving birth to children sired by a 62-year-old and 76-year-old; and two 16-year- olds giving birth to children sired by a 73-year-old and another one by a man over 80 years old.
The PSA data also showed that of the 62,341 births, some 16,694 were sired by fathers who are between 15 and 19 years old while another 16,371 births did not state the age of the father.
“Many of them are probably cases of abuse; most likely,” Perez told the BusinessMirror. “Once you see someone 10, 11, 12 years old giving birth, there’s abuse there; that’s statutory rape. So we should be doing more. Even the hospitals should be reporting. It should be a signal. People are just not conscious about it.”
Protection, support
THE Popcom earlier disclosed that the Philippines, as a country currently under community quarantines, has witnessed the health crisis greatly bearing down on young people’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
The 2020 study of the University of the Philippines and the United Nations Population Fund revealed a 42-percent increase in unintended pregnancies and a 67-percent hike in unmet need for family planning among Filipino women. From these numbers, Popcom said more than 1 out of 10 are still in their teens.
Perez said the experiences of the country’s young citizens aspiring to have access to information and services on SRH as a fulfillment of their constitutional rights. Currently, this provision is withheld from Republic Act 10354 (RPRH Law of 2012).
He noted that the isolation and physical-distancing measures stemming from the pandemic’s safety protocols may be limiting the capacity of the youth to exercise their rights, which may eventually lead to their discrimination and exclusion from decision-making processes.
“These adolescents have no decision-making power, economic independence, autonomy, and are considered by many countries as powerless; they face greater risks of repeat pregnancies, and are vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) as well as intergenerational poverty during, and as a result, of their early childbearing,” Perez said. “Young people need to have access to safe, trusted and reliable information integrated into services ensuring health, protection and psychosocial support.”
ECQ impact
LAST month, the United Nations (UN) Population Fund of the Philippines, along with partners CARE, Oxfam Pilipinas, PLAN International, UNHCR, UN Women, Unicef and 18 other partners in Civil Society, and the Commission on Human Rights, launched the “Silayan Report: A Gender and Inclusion Assessment of the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
The UNFPA and its partners conducted the qualitative study at the height of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period, with nearly 1,000 remote interviews with respondents from the most marginalized communities: indigent elders, indigenous peoples, internally displaced persons, rural and urban poor, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, 4P beneficiaries, overseas migrant workers and local community health workers.
Results from the interviews show that the circumstances of women respondents were worse off than before the pandemic. Data showed there was higher domestic care work where the median time spent on chores among the respondents increased to 4 hours to 5 hours per day from 3 hours to 4 hours.
The report also stated that 35 percent of respondents mentioned that Covid-19 interventions had a negative impact on their livelihood/employment and 49 percent of women respondents mentioned that the received government assistance was not adequate to meet their daily needs.
The Silayan report noted that internally displaced women in evacuation centers, women with disabilities, and the urban poor usually had worse experiences during the pandemic. They suffered from worsening mental health issues, some reporting suicidal ideation, the pressure to engage in prostitution, and initiating the first-ever mendicancy.
Owned, led
AMONG the respondents in the study, women with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to report that they experience anxiety or depression during the pandemic than women without disabilities.
“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to isolate individuals, separate families and devastate communities the world over, leaving no member of our human family unaffected,” the UN Women said in a statement for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. “It has laid bare deep-rooted inequalities across societies and amplified structural and historical injustice.”
“It has exposed both new and existing degrees of discrimination, especially against those already marginalized who are undergoing the concurrent and compounding crises of health and economic injustices and environmental degradation,” the statement added.
Apart from the abuse and problems with access, women business owners were also left with the short end of the stick during the pandemic. In a session at the 54th ADB Annual Meeting of Governors, experts such as Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) Secretariat Head Wendy Teleki said the lockdowns and the need to take care of family members at home has forced many women to give up their businesses. Many institutions also could not help as support for women entrepreneurs remained low.
Teleki said 252 million women were engaged in entrepreneurship and a third of all formal small and medium enterprises are owned and led by women worldwide. However, women-owned firms average about half the size of male lead firms. These firms face significant financing constraints with an estimated $1.7 trillion financing gap.
Possible reduction
SHE also said Covid-19 “made a bad situation worse” because many women-led firms have seen sharper drops in revenue compared to male-led businesses. She explained this was because women-led businesses were largely informal and concentrated in service industries.
Apart from women entrepreneurs, International Labor Organization (ILO) Senior Specialist in Gender Joni Simpson said women workers also suffered significantly during the pandemic.
Simpson said women were “overrepresented” in industries that were significantly affected by the pandemic such as tourism, manufacturing, and trade. Areas where supply chains were significantly disrupted also affected more women.
She said globally women’s employment declined by 5 percent compared to only 3.9 percent for men. Majority of women whose employment suffered under the weight of the pandemic were forced to leave the labor force.
ADB Deputy Chief Economist Joseph E. Zveglich Jr. said many women dropped out of the labor force because of the need to take care of children who are now homeschooling and sick family members.
“A survey by UN women reported increased hours spent in unpaid care and domestic work at home, women were starting at a much higher level the burden of child children’s education and care of sick family members will complicate women’s return to the workforce possibly reducing their already low labor force participation rate, Zveglich said.
Labor Force
ALLOWING women to have what they need and want in life, Perez said, would require a holistic approach in terms of policy. This is especially the case when it comes to the future of the Philippine economy, of which women are a crucial part.
Perez said the employment of women and young people is one of the issues that the government needs to prioritize. He said while 64 percent of the population of working age Filipinos are in the labor force, less than 50 percent of women are women. Unfortunately, Perez said, the trend is declining when it comes to women’s participation in the workforce.
He added that there is also little progress on employment opportunities for young people under 25 who have the highest unemployment. This includes young Filipinas who are looking for opportunities to help their families.
Further, ensuring that women also have control over their bodies means making family planning methods available. This will prevent not only teenage pregnancies but also unintended pregnancies that lead to more children to support.
This is part of the country’s efforts to reap the demographic dividend. The demographic dividend is reaped when the working age population is growing faster than the number of dependents; having a skilled workforce; and decent employment opportunities through a steady stream of local and foreign investments.
Reaping the demographic dividend can take as long as 20 years to even 50 years, depending on the country. Countries in East Asia like Thailand, which entered the demographic transition in the mid-1990s, are still reaping the demographic dividend.
Economic growth
THE demographic dividend is also responsible for explaining at least a third of the economic growth achieved by these countries in the past few decades.
“The large workforce will still be there beyond 2030. It is not merely the tyranny of numbers but how we deal with social determinants to make the numbers work in our favor,” Perez said.
However, slowing down the fertility rate of the country to the replacement rate should not be the end goal and some balance should be sought. Perez said the population growth is expected to stabilize at 1.06 percent by 2025.
The Agence France Presse earlier reported that Italy already had the lowest birth rate in Europe and this is one of the concerns given that fewer children will lead to a lower tax base in the future. A lower tax base may have implications on the economy of Italy which presently has the slowest growth among the Group of 7 (G7) nations.
“That is why the population policy of this country should be responsive to our needs. That is why even now we are studying the situation of older people and why we are drafting a new policy on population beyond 2025 today, looking at the demographic scenario,” Perez said.
“We should work for optimal childbearing during the most ideal period physiologically (early 20s to early 30s) and avoid too early and too late childbearing. Young people can then be fully productive economically and manage their fertility. Family planning thus will be more geared to family development rather than fertility reduction (should be optimization),” he added.