Philippines

MDG 3:  Promote Gender Equality and Empower Woman

Disclaimer: Some of the MDG data presented in this website have been adjusted by the responsible specialized agencies to ensure international comparability, in compliance with their shared mandate to assess progress towards the MDGs at the regional and global levels.^[1] 

Indicators (United Nations)

3.1  Ratios of girls to boys in education

1. Primary  :

Ø  1999: 1^[2]

Ø  2005: 0.99^[3]

Ø  2008: 0.98^[4]

1. Secondary: 

Ø  1999: 1.09^[5]

Ø  2005: 1.12^[6]

Ø  2008: 1.09^[7]

1. Tertiary:

Ø  1999: 1.26^[8]

Ø  2005: 1.23^[9]

Ø  2008: 1.24^[10]

3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

1. 2000: 40.9^[12]
2. 2005: 41.4^[13]
3. 2008: 41.7^[14]               

Women’s share in paid employment in the non-agricultural sector improved slightly from 40.9% in 2000 to 41.7% in 2008. With political will, it is still possible to achieve 50% by 2015. (See 3.3.2 for more.)

Critical Indicators to monitor labour force participation

      3.2.1 Labour Force Participation:

1. Female Economic Activity rate: 54.7%^[15]
2. Change in Economic Activity Rate using index (1990 = 100) 2005: 115^[16]
3. As % of male rate 2005: 66%^[17]

3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

1. 2000: 12.4^[21]
2. 2005: 15.3^[22]

1. 2008: 21.0^[23]   

Even though the Philippines has had two female presidents, there is still a lot of ground to be covered and social and structural barriers to be overcome by women in the political arena. While the proportion of women in the Philippine Congress has improved significantly from 12.4% in 2000 to 21% in 2008, this is still a long way from reaching 50% by 2015.

Critical indicators to monitor women’s legislation

3.3.1      Laws on equality; protecting women from violence^[24]:

a.    Domestic Violence:  Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act  (RA9262) (2004) 

b.    Anti-Rape: Anti-Rape Law (1997), which amended the Revised Penal Code 

c.    Anti-Marital Rape: Anti-Rape Law (1997)

d.    Anti-Sexual Harassment: Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (2007)

e.    Anti-Trafficking: Anti-Trafficking in Person Act (2003)

Mainly due to advocacy of women’s groups, the Philippines has enacted progressive laws protecting women from domestic violence, sexual violence and trafficking, with marital rape even included as part of the anti-rape law. However, implementation of these laws remains a problem. While these laws and policies exist, however, barriers remain in fully enabling justice to women who experience domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, trafficking, and other forms of violence.

Moreover, gender-based violence, particularly to women, remains a serious problem in the country. In 2009, the number of violence against women cases reported to the police (9.485 cases) increased by 37.4% from the 2008 report. Physical injuries and/or wife battering remains as the most prevalent type from 1997–2009, accounting for 45.5% of all reported VAW cases. Violation of the Anti-VAWC Action ranked second (17.8%), rape cases third (13.1%), and acts of lasciviousness fourth (8.1%) of total reported cases from 1999 to 2009.^[25] 

3.3.2 National Machineries on Women:

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW, formerly known as the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women or NCRFW) is the national machinery for the advancement of women in the Philippines. The enactment in August 2009 of Republic Act 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), not only renamed the commission, it also “expanded PCW’s mandate as the primary policy-making and coordinating body on women and gender equality concerns.” PCW is the oversight body on women’s concerns, and is expected to “act as catalyst for gender mainstreaming, authority on women’s concerns, and lead advocate of women’s empowerment, gender equity, and gender equality in the country.”^[26]

It must be noted that this machinery should be “closely monitored and evaluated from time to time to ensure that gender concerns are indeed incorporated in national and sub-national legislation, national and local government policies and plans, and budgetary allocations.” We must also look into whether these structures are considered “as powerful as the traditional ministries of finance, defense or public works.”^[27] Whether these structures also enable meaningful and substantive civil society participation, particularly of women’s NGOs, is also another issue to consider.

Voices from the ground:

News Magazines/Articles:

a.   This is a statement by Senator Pia Cayetano (Philippines), President of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians

      during the Commission for the Status of Women in New York, March 2010. Read it here

3.4 Additional, critical indicators for gender equality with regards to sexual and reproductive health and rights

The third MDG deals with the status of women in society and aims to promote gender equality and empower women.

However achievement of gender equality is not only about sending girls to school, women to the workplace and to parliament.

Everyday, many women continue to face inequalities and inequities within the family and society that they live in.

Many issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights are in essence gender equality issues as well as health issues. Sexual and reproductive health outcomes are results of power inequalities which have a negative impact on women’s health.

Issues of contraception such as male participation in contraception and spousal opposition to contraception (which is addressed in the MDG 5 pages) are gender issues.

Maternal deaths is a demonstratable issue of gender inequality. And as only women ‘can die’ from maternal deaths, a lack of access to life-saving procedures and medicines can amount to ‘discrimination’.

Violence is a reflection of power inequalities in society and comparably more women then men continue to be targets. Violence against women often results in physical and mental ill-health as well as death.

Recognition of women’s autonomy over her sexual life and her sexuality is also unequal to that of men, and can result in both sexual and reproductive ill-health for women.

However, all of these issues are addressed neither in the goal on gender equality nor in the goal on maternal and reproductive health. We have tried to incorporate some perspectives on these on the pages on MDG 3 & 5.

One such critical indicator for which data is readily available is:

3.4.1 Male Contraception as % of total contraception:

1. Condom Users as proportion of all contraceptive users is 3.88%^[28]
2. Vasectomy as proportion of all contraceptive users is 0.2%^[29]