26/03/2024
As the International Womenโs Month nears to end, the Inter-Sorority Council amplifies the calls for safe spaces for women, gender equality and inclusivity, and laws that protect women of all distinctions in SOGIE.
In 2021, the Global Gender Gap reported that the Philippines placed 17 worldwide and second best among the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) countries, with a 78.4% overall gender gap closed to date. This development can be attributed to the Philippine Magna Carta of Women passing into law in 2009 [1]. This shows that systematic policies can significantly contribute to systematic changes such as that of the state of women in the country. Hence, the Council firmly calls for the government to address social gaps and barriers that hinder women to fully attain gender equality and inclusivity.
Despite the numbers showing progress in gender gaps, the countryโs social norms and culture still affects the societyโs preconceptions on women, even womenโs biases against their gender. A report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) based on survey data from 2017 to 2019 shows that 99.33% of Filipino men and 99.67% of women hold biases against women [2]. This resonates with the prevailing issues involving women such as domestic violence and microaggressions against women in the workplace.
The Philippine Statistics Authority conducted a survey in 2022 which shows that 17.5% of Filipino women of ages 15-49 have experienced any form of physical, sexual, and emotional violence from their intimate partners. More specifically, there are 8,399 reported cases of physical violence, 1,791 cases of r**e, and 1,505 cases on acts of lasciviousness as of 2019 [3]. In 2019, only 49% of Filipino women are in the labor force, compared to 76% Filipino men in the labor force, which is lower than the regional average rate of 59% in the EAP region [4]. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies also reported in 2022 that women who are engaged in digital jobs receive 18.4% less salary than men [5].
The social challenges that women face today are a multitude of different factors and has been bolstered by centuries of internalized gender roles. It is ingrained in our society that it has become a structural and institutional problem. As we continue to celebrate International Womenโs Month, The UPLB Inter-Sorority Council is calling for institutions and organizations for women to organize their efforts and set sustainable long-term agenda in addressing gender gaps. The UPLB ISC is also one in pressuring the government to review existing laws and continue to craft policies that protect women and their spaces in society. The Council also pledges to support and promote the full and equal participation of women in all sectors of society, especially in positions of power.
In the remainder of March 2024, join the Inter-Sorority Council as we feature groups of women who advocate for women empowerment and gender equality and inclusivity.
References:
[1] https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/eastasiapacific/overcoming-barriers-womens-work-philippines
[2] https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/14/2273846/nearly-all-filipinos-biased-against-women-due-culture-misogyny-gabriela
[3] https://pcw.gov.ph/violence-against-women/
[4] https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/eastasiapacific/overcoming-barriers-womens-work-philippines
[5] https://neda.gov.ph/women-in-the-workplace-paving-a-better-landscape-in-the-labor-force/
