Women and Economics

Purpose of addressing womens problem in economics: 1. To eliminate discrimination against women. 2. Economic development this goal can only be attained if women will be given opportunity to be part of the solution. It is important to enable women to participate in economic activity. It is one of the ways for any country in the world to accelerate development and to eliminate poverty as women will invest their incomes in their childs health, nutrition and education that will in turn improve their familys living condition. Catherine M. Russell - the US Ambassador at Large for Global Womens Issues Factors that affects the economic rights of women: 1. Culture and Religion In Asjari v. Ermita, the trial court held that the preference for men over women may be religion or culturebased, not sexual discrimination. Relying on custom, the trial court explained that the husband should have ultimate authority over property because tradition and experience show that, in ve ry serious matters concerning the family, it is usually the husband who makes ultimate choices. 2. Existing Laws The Muslim Code, promulgated by Presidential Decree in 1977, operates as a parallel set of family law provisions for the Muslim population of the Philippines. The Muslim Code contains many provisions mirroring those in the pre-revision Civil Code. For instance, under both Codes, a woman may not share domestic roles equally with her husband, choose her residence, or keep parental authority over her children if her husband dies and she remarries. Additionally, both Codes restrict womens economic power by limiting their access to the court system, their ability to seek employment outside the home, and their right to inherit property. -Protecting Womens Human Rights: A Case Study in the Philippines Statistics related to women and economics According to Philippine Commission on Women

Problems: 1. Implementation and compliance with existing laws protecting the economic rights of women. 2. The Family and Muslim Codes similarly deny women equal property rights. The Family Code provides that in the administration of marital or childrens property [i]n case of disagreement, the husband or fathers decision shall prevail. The Muslim Code goes even further, conditioning the wifes acquisition of property from non-relatives on her husbands consent. It further denies mothers the ability to administer childrens property unless the father is absent and grants guardianship of a minors property to the fath er, paternal grandfather, their representatives, or the court. Womens property rights are critical since they are closely linked to economic power. The CEDAW Committee considers them central to a womans right to enjoy financial independence and her ability to earn a livelihood and to provide adequate housing and nutrition for herself and for her family. When men have final authority over property, they have ultimate access to wealth, and women are disempowered and dependent. -Protecting Womens Human Rights: A Case Study in the Philippines Proposal: Make certain improvements or amendments to some provisions of the law specifically those laws which directly affect the rights of women. Further, to petition the government to make a stringent implementation of the existing laws providing protection for the womens right. The provisions of the Family Code relating to property rights must be revised in order to give equal footage between the husband and wife in administering their properties.

House Bill 4643, authored by Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo I (2nd District, Valenzuela City), seeks to encourage employers to recruit and hire more women in the workplace, eliminating the big stumbling block to womens employability. Under the measure, any employer found guilty of favoring a male employee over a female employee with respect to dismissal of personnel or the application of any retrenchment policy of the employer solely on account of their sexes shall be fined or suffer imprisonment or both.