ORIA, MAYBELYN S.

SEC 276 - FA #1

A. THE OUTLINE

TOPIC SENTENCE: Despite a variety of gender-responsive policy initiatives and feminist

campaigns, women still suffer from the lack of certain work opportunities and benefits and
other forms of workplace discrimination.

SUPPORTING SENTENCES:

1. Women are less likely to advance in job ranks compared to men due to the persistence
of gender stereotypes.
 Leadership qualities such as confidence, dominance, and assertiveness are often
associated with men.
 The norm that women are seen as potential mothers who must have the bigger
responsibility of taking care of children makes it more difficult for them to
balance work and family duties. As a result, the career growth of women
compared to men becomes significantly slower.
2. Despite several efforts by our government, there is still a gender pay gap in the
Philippines.
 Based on the data collected from a study by Jobstreet in 2019 from 6,971 skilled
workers, male Filipino employees earn PhP 5,000 more than their female
counterparts.
3. The usual victims of workplace harassment or office bullying are women who are
vulnerable to violence and discrimination.
 Women are often coerced or sexually harassed by male co-workers in the
workplace. Reporting these cases are usually career-ending and women find
themselves on the losing end where they experience ridicule and further
alienation.
  There are existing laws for the protection of women in these cases. However, due
to the misogynistic workplace culture and other gender-biased norms, these laws
are poorly implemented and loosely followed.

CONCLUSION: Although there have been a number of mechanisms in place to fight all forms
of gender discrimination in the Filipino workplace, there are still a lot to be done to ensure
women empowerment, end misogynistic behaviors, and promote equality in all aspects.
B. EXPOSITORY-DISCURSIVE ESSAY

Word Count: 1,057 words

Women at Work: Addressing the Gender Inequality in the Philippine Workplace

The fight for gender equality in the Philippines has been a continuing struggle not only
for the LGBTQ+ community but also for women. Given the patriarchal culture in our country
which roots from our long history of colonialism, women have always been perceived as
subordinate to men. Women are discriminated and oppressed in most places in the society. At
home, they are seen only as homemakers and child-bearers. In public places, they are viewed as
sexual objects in the eyes of predatorial men. These are just some of the few scenarios but one of
the areas where women are often sidelined and harassed is the workplace.

Women at work in the modern times are very ambitious, dedicated and career oriented.
However, given the gender gap in the Philippines which is usually measured on the basis of
economic leadership, workplace participation and recognition, work benefits and education,
women find it difficult to succeed. Despite a variety of gender-responsive policy initiatives and
feminist campaigns, women still suffer from the lack of certain work opportunities and
benefits and other forms of workplace discrimination.

This struggle comes with the domination of male participation in the labor force of our
country. According to the data from the World Bank, the average male labor force participation
rate in the Philippines from 1990 to 2019 is at 76.42%. This only shows how men can easily
influence the culture and dynamics in the workplace given their abundance. In addition to this,
we see a lot of men holding key leadership positions in several companies. Women are less
likely to advance in job ranks compared to men due to the persistence of gender stereotypes.
Leadership qualities such as confidence, dominance, and assertiveness are often associated with
men. On the other hand, women are often associated with emotions and reluctance. Also, the
norm that women are seen as potential mothers who must have the bigger responsibility of taking
care of children makes it more difficult for them to balance work and family duties. As a result,
the career growth of women compared to men becomes significantly slower. These stereotypes
make women disregard compliments and positive feedback on the work that they do and hesitate
to express their ideas in group conversations especially in the presence of male co-workers.
These stereotypes weaken the self-confidence of women which can definitely hold them back
from pursuing higher job positions or venturing new career paths despite having enough skills
and abilities.

Aside from this cultural problem in the workplace, Filipina women also experience
discrimination in terms of the compensation that they receive for their work. Despite several
efforts by our government, there is still a gender pay gap in the Philippines. Even if our country
remains to be one of the top countries in Asia in terms of closing the gender gap according to the
Global Gender Gap Index, a gender pay gap still persists. Based on the data collected from a
study by Jobstreet in 2019 from 6,971 skilled workers, male Filipino employees earn PhP 5,000
more than their female counterparts. Data also shows that in supervisory and senior management
levels, men tend to earn bigger salaries compared to women in the same position and level of
experience. This is indeed unfair given that men and women are given the same quality of
education in schools so they should not have a disparity in compensation if they are basically
doing the same work in a company. Again, this could eventually lead to women either being
discouraged to aim for a higher rank or forced to settle in their current positions.

The lack of opportunities and unequal benefits are not the only forms of inequality that
women experience in the workplace. It is common knowledge that harassment is rampant at
work especially in male-dominated industries. The usual victims of workplace harassment or
office bullying are women who are vulnerable to violence and discrimination. There are
existing laws for the protection of women in these cases. However, due to the misogynistic
workplace culture and other gender-biased norms, these laws are poorly implemented and
loosely followed. Some of the laws in place to criminalize these acts are the Republic Act 7877
or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, which details the punishable forms of sexual
harassment in an employment environment, and the Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence
Against Women and Their Children Act, which encompasses all forms of violence against
women. However, many perpetrators are still on the loose because of the gender bias against
women and in most cases, the power relations in companies. Women are often coerced or
sexually harassed by male co-workers in the workplace. Reporting these cases are usually career-
ending and women find themselves on the losing end where they experience ridicule and further
alienation. This becomes worse if the male harasser is in the top echelons of the company or a
very influential individual. Women must always remember that the workplace isn’t always a safe
space. Harassment or bullying can always happen in the workplace since there are people who
want to use their power to control others. Since men see women as inferior to them, women
should always be on the lookout for these instances as they always have targets at the back of
their heads.

Although there have been a number of mechanisms in place to fight all forms of gender
discrimination in the Filipino workplace, there are still a lot to be done to ensure women
empowerment, end misogynistic behaviors, and promote equality in all aspects. It all starts
with sparking conversations and fearlessly speaking out about it in the form of educational
discussions, mandatory gender sensitivity trainings for employees, and the like. In this way,
people will be more informed and be more aware about how important it is for us to promote
gender equality not just in the workplace, but in the society that we live in. We must support all
initiatives by the government and other feminist groups in ensuring the elimination of
discrimination, bias, and violence against women. As we have just recently celebrated the
International Women’s Day last March 8, we are reminded about the several achievements of
women and how we can achieve a better world if we continue to empower them. Indeed, the
future is female.
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