The government of Australia and the Philippine government cohosted in Manila on August 29, 2017, the “Asean Forum on Women’s Economic Empowerment: The Next Driver of Asean’s Success.” The forum emphasized the importance of women’s economic empowerment as a major driver of Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s future success. Achieving gender equality is critical to lasting and inclusive economic growth, stability and prosperity in the Asean region. As such, the two governments committed to increasing women’s work force participation, addressing the gender pay gap and removing the impediments and major barriers to women’s empowerment—including legal, educational, cultural, institutional, religious, financial barriers, and the unequal distribution of caring responsibilities and informal work between men and women, boys and girls.
In line with the Philippine government’s commitment, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairman Rhodora Bucoy stated that it is necessary to benchmark strategies to enable us to counter gender discrimination in the workplace among working women and men. These strategies include:
“I. Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda for the 17th Congress: Women’s Political Participation and Representation Act
• Adoption of gender quotas
• Creation of a women’s campaign fund for aspiring women candidates, especially those belonging to marginalized sectors;
• Training and support for women’s gender-responsive and transformational leadership; and
• Promoting gender-responsive voter’s education.
“II. Compliance of National Government Agencies to the Gender and Development [GAD] Budget Policy
• Several measures are needed to be implanted to address concerns of gender stereotyping, multiple burdens and lack of political education and support from political parties so that women’s presence in the field of governance become more apparent and cognizable.
• PCW strongly encourages agencies to meet the minimum 5-percent GAD budget allocation and ensure that GAD programs and activities address relevant gender issues-Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development 1995 to 2025 and the Women’s Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality Plan 2013 to 2016.
“III. Work-life balance family-friendly policies—supporting women to perform their reproductive roles: changing social norms and encouraging men to participate in care work.
A. Family Code of 1987—the spouses are jointly responsible for the support of the family; parental authority and responsibility shall include the caring for and rearing children for civic consciousness and efficiency and the development of their moral, mental and physical character and well-being.
B. Women in Development and Nation-Building Act of 1992—voluntary social security at the private or public system and contribution to provident funds for married person devoting full time in household management and family affairs; contributions from working spouse.
C. Amendments to the Labor Code
Leaves
• 60-days maternity leave —100-120 days (even for unmarried).
• Seven-day leave for solo parents in addition to the 60-day leaves.
• Seven-day paternity leave (only for married men).
Special leaves
• Three-day special leave for government workers for major family events.
• 10-day paid leave for women victim-survivors of intimate partner abuse, for when they need to attend to their psychological, medical or legal needs (VAWC Act, 2004).
• 60-day special leave for women who undergo surgery due to gynecological disorder (Magna Carta of Women, 2009).
Expanded Breastfeeding Act
• Lactation station in public places like offices, markets, shopping malls, airports, bus stations—monitored by labor department.
• Nursing breaks
Flexible work arrangement
• Flexi-time
• Flexi-place or work from home
• Telecommuting
Day-care and child-minding Centers
• Day-care centers in all villages
• Encouraged in government agencies (use GAD budget) and private offices.
D. Domestic Workers Act of 2013
• Health insurance and social security coverage, minimum wages, written contracts, specified working hours and paid leaves among others.
E. Education
• Gender-fair education, addressing gender stereotypes in textbooks.
• Technology and Home Economics for boys and girls.
F. Male Involvement
• Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Parental Abilities Training by social welfare department and local offices.
• Men True to their Responsibility and Obligation to the Family/Kalalakihang Tapat sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon sa Pamilya by Population Commission.
• Men Opposed to Violence Against Women Everywhere.
G. Conditional-cash transfer (4Ps)
• Financial assistance: Prenatal and maternal health checkups, three children in school up to age 18, rice subsidy.
• Family Development Sessions: gender sensitivity, responsible parenthood and family planning, adolescent reproductive health and sexuality, violence in the family and gender-based violence, child rearing, water, sanitation and hygiene, backyard gardening, livelihood and disaster preparedness, among others.
The Philippines was cited in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2016 Global Gender Gap as one of the top 10 best-performing countries in promoting gender equality in the workplace. In the WEF report for 2016, the Philippines ranked No. 1 on professional and technical workers indicator and No. 7 in wage equality for similar work indicator.
It is hoped that with the “We Make Change Work For Women” agenda of President Duterte, the government will put in place functional mechanisms for these strategic directions. The government must walk its talk.