SEN. Pia Cayetano is pressing for a review of outdated laws that tend to discriminate women.
In enlisting the majority support of fellow lawmakers, Cayetano is banking on mustering enough votes for the passage of the long needed remedial legislation.
Cayetano has been sewing support of her colleagues to pursue “reviewing existing laws with provisions that are discriminatory against women.”
Delivering a privilege speech, the lawmaker lamented that the Philippines “still has laws that are discriminatory or contain distinctions, exclusions or restrictions against women, including some provisions in the Family Code and the Revised Penal Code.”
While Cayetano acknowledged that the Philippines often ranks as one of the most gender-equal countries globally, she warned, “The country has been regressing in gender parity in the last few years and as lawmakers, it is their job to introduce laws that advance the status and protect the rights of women.”
She added: “As chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Futures Thinking, this representation is committed to building a more sustainable future for women and their children.”
At the same time, the senator affirmed that “the goal is not to give preference to women” reminding that “the goal is to create gender partnership.”
Image credits: Senate PRIB
