Women, Development and the World

Sectorial Situationer – Gender permeates all aspects of society. This idea may be hard to imagine because
oppression due to gender has been so normalized that even those who experience the brunt of this system see
no wrong in it. The sectoral situationer will given an overview of the condition of women both in the
Philippines and around the globe in relation to oppression.

I. Women and the Economy: Women and Work – while both men and women have problems
concerning work, women have specific labor issues related to their gender. Moreover, women’s
work is often invisibilized due to their socialized gender roles.
1. There are fewer women than men at work, and most women only work in one sector.
2. Not only are fewer women employed, they also experience the pay gap – they are paid less than
what men receive for doing the same work, across al sectors and occupations.
3. While many issues concerning women and work have yet to be addressed, some issues have
gained ground, such as maternity and paternity leaves.
4. Women also experience gender biases in the Philippines, such as their “limited career choices,
lack of support facilities, sexual harassment, lack of protection for the informal sector and
domestic workers, tenuous social protection, limited monitoring on labor standards, and
unremitting promotion of labor export policy”.
II. Women and Education – Gender parity in primary education is present not just in the
Philippines, but also in the rest of the world, with girls performing better than boys in some
regions.
1. Issues in education involve the gendered nature of certain specializations. Women may be
underrepresented in STEM fields.
2. Goal No. 3, Taget 3A or the MDG is “to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary
education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015”
3. For every 100 boys, 69 girls dropped out of school during this period.
4. More girls were able to complete both primary and secondary education in school year 2010-
2011.
III. Women and Health – access to health care and health services constitute issues surrounding
women and health, as well as a woman’s emotional, psychological, and social wellness.
Globally, maternal health has improved considerably. However, pregnancy and childbirth are still
the main health concerns of women aged 15-29.
1. The average life expectancy of women has risen to the age of 72 years, while it is 68 for men.
2. Issues surrounding health care in the Philippines involve the lack of access to healthcare facilities,
quality services, and actual health centers in the communities.
3. Women seeking treatment for abortion are still stigmatized, regardless of whether the abortion was
self-induced or spontaneous.
 4. Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines has been increasing; specifically, a 65% rise from the years
2000 to 2010.
5. The groundbreaking Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354) aims
to address the gaps in reproductive health. It aims to be pro-women as it helps young girls take
charge of their own bodies and pushes for adolescents’ access to SRHR (sexual and reproductive
health rights) information.
IV. Violence against women (VAW) exists on a global scale, and affects millions of women on a
daily basis.

Statistics on VAW show the reach of this gender-based epidemic. Culture-specific violence such as bride
burning, child brides, or female genital mutilation is still practiced despite its violation of a person’s basic
human rights.

V. Women in Armed Conflict – armed conflict is seen as a critical area of concern in terms of
women’s participation in peace panels and peacekeeping, as well as in terms of their
victimization during conflict around the globe.
1. A special form of victimization occurs for women in armed conflict. Women have gender-
specific needs apart from the basic survival needs that other victims of conflict have.
2. Due to women’s socialized gender roles as the keepers of culture and bearers of a race, rape
and sexual violence are seen as war tactics to instill fear in communities.
3. Other issues face by women include subhuman evacuation conditions, forced recruitment into
rebel camps, killings, abductions, psychosocial trauma, and hostage-taking.
VI. Women in Power and Politics – the number of women in parliament worldwide has doubled in
the years since the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). However, women
compose only 22% of the parliament today.
1. The Philippines made it to the top ten countries in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap
Index for 2015.
2. There is increased participation of female voters (28K) against male voters (26K)
3. Some issues that hamper women’s participation in the elections involve sex-role stereotypes and
gendered assumptions.
4. Also, because women in politics are stereotyped by their roles, Filipino voter often look for someone
who is aggressive and assertive.
VII. The Magna Carta for Women is a groundbreaking law that serves as the “comprehensive bill of
rights for Filipino women”.
1. Likewise, the Women’s Empowerment, Development, and Gender Equality Plan for 2013-
2016 is a framework plan for gender mainstreaming developed by the Philippine Commission
on Women.
 2. Rampant sexism and violations against women on the basis of gender and sex occur,
especially on certain laws that are anti-women. The Penal Code, for example, imposes a
heavier consequence for women who commit adultery versus men.
VIII. Discrimination against the Girl-Child – the BPfA sees the girl-child as an important sector that
faces numerous forms of injustice.
1. Women experience their first forms of discrimination during childhood. Because some
cultures value boys over girls, girl-children may fall victim to female infanticide and sex-
selective abortion.
2. Despite child marriage being illegal in most countries, there is a prevalence of forced
marriages that involve marrying young girls to older men.
3. Female circumcision is a harmful traditional practice that targets young girls. And while this
is a practice of certain tribes, it poses risks to the girl’s health due to infection and bleeding.
IX. Women and the Environment – talks about the environment have remained mostly gender-
neutral before the BPfA. However, “women and the environment” has been named as a critical
area of concern due to the disproportional impact of environmental issues on women.
1. While men and women are equally affected by access to water or the exposure to disasters,
women are more burdened. The caregiving, cooking and cleaning assigned to them requires
water and fuel in their homes.
2. Women are also excluded from land titles and ownership of other natural resources.
3. During food shortages, women often prioritize the needs of their husband and children over
their own.
4. Women are not involved in decision-making bodies about the environment.
X. Women and Disaster – the accelerating effects of climate change have increased the
unpredictability of the weather systems around the world.
1. Gender and disaster resilience are strongly correlated. Case studies on post-disaster
communities show that women and girls are more susceptible to the effects of a tragedy.
2. Women are most often the ones who attend to the immediate survival needs of their family
members such as setting-up their temporary shelter and lining up for relief goods from the
government and other organizations.
3. Post-disaster scenarios have incidences of gender-based violence that include rape, human
trafficking, and domestic abuse.
XI. Women in the Indigenous Communities – there are 14-17 million indigenous peoples in the
Philippines belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups.
1. Historically, the indigenous peoples have been subjected to discrimination and
marginalization in the course of political processes and economic activities.
2. Women in the indigenous communities face issues regarding land ownership.
 3. In some cases, indigenous women deal with “discriminatory attitudes and insensitivities” of
mainstream health facilities”.
4. Child marriage is another pressing issue in the indigenous communities.
5. All IP groups face the fear of cultural erasure that may come with the push for globalization.
XII. Filipino Women in Other Sectors – Muslim women in the country are affected by armed
conflict.
XIII. When communities are displaced due to such situation, women and children are the majority
among the internally displaced people.

Gender Interests and Needs

Gender analysis helps us understand that there is a difference between practical needs and strategic
interests. Understanding this difference helps us to identify positive measures that can be undertaken to
rectify inequalities between women and men.

Practical needs are those that can be considered as immediate necessities for both women and men (basic
needs such as water, food, income, shelter and health care). Initiatives that only aim to meet practical needs
seek to respond to issues arising from inadequate living conditions.

Strategic interests pertain to the relative status of women and men within their society. These interests differ
from one context to another and relate to changing women’s position or status through addressing gender
roles and expectations, as well as gender division of labor, resources and power. Examples of initiatives to
promote strategic interests include protection from domestic violence, closing wage gaps and increasing
women’s decision- making opportunities

Gender Needs

Practical gender needs [PGN):

Related to immediate needs of living, such as food, drinking water, health care and medical support.

Strategic gender needs (SGN):

Related to gender divisions of labor, equal wages, resources and education, and women’s control over their
bodies.

Necessary to encompass social and political reforms for ensuring power and control, legal rights, reduce
domestic violence,
These measures are seen as relatively long-term objectives.

Laws, Policies and Programs for Philippine Women

 The Magna Carta for Women (RA 9710)

 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354)
 Women’s Empowerment, Development, and Gender Equality Plan for 2013-2018
 Beijing Platform for Action
 Violence Against Women and their Children (RA 9262)

Republic Act 9710: Magna Carta of Women

The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate
discrimination through the recognition. Protection, fulfillment, and promotion of the rights of Filipino
women, especially those belonging in the marginalized sectors of the society. It conveys a framework of
rights for women based directly on international law.

The MCW establishes the Philippine government’s pledge of commitment to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Committee in its 36 th Session in
2006 and to the UN Human Rights Council on its first Universal Periodic Review in 2009. It is the local
translation of the provisions of the CEDAW particularly in defining gender discrimination, state obligations,
substantive equality, and temporary special measures. It also recognizes human rights guaranteed by the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCA).

Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012

Republic of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines

Metro Manila Fifteenth Congress Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand twelve

An Act providing for a National Policy on Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as The Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health Act of 2012

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy-The State recognizes and guarantees the human rights of
all persons including their right to equality and nondiscrimination of these rights the right to
sustainable human development, the right to health which includes reproductive health, the
right to education and information, and the right to choose and make decisions for
themselves in accordance with their religious convictions, ethics, cultural beliefs and the
demands of responsible parenthood.

Women’s Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality Plan 2013-2016

(WEDGE) Plan

Philippine Commission on Women

Gender equality and women empowerment framework

The Women’s Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality (WEDGE) Plan 2013-2016
is the fourth gender-focused plan formulated by the Philippines since 1989: the first ones
being the Philippine Development Plan for Women (PDPW 1989-1992) the Philippine Plan
for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD 1985-2025) and the Framework Plan for
Women (FPW2004-2010) Reports on the implementation of these plans indicate that many
of the gender concerns they raised have been addressed. However, there are still many issues
that need attention and resolution and recent developments have given rise to yet new issues
requiring new solutions

The formulation of the Women’s EDGE Plan provides a timely opportunity to review
persistent and emerging gender issues and to take these into account in the existing plans of
government. This is also the time to concretize the gender-responsive provisions of the POP
and translating them Into strategies and programs to address the gender issues. As a
companion document to the PDF the Women's EDGE Plan will guide agencies in
mainstreaming the gender dimension in their regular programs, as well as in implementing
gender-focused activities

Beijing Platform for Action

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action or BPfA is a landmark document for
advancing the rights of women and gender equality worldwide agreed during the 4 th World
Conference on women in 1995. The International community came to a consensus and
agreed to a comprehensive blueprint of commitments supporting the full development of
woman and their equality with man in 12 areas of concern: (1) women and poverty: (2)
education and training of women: (3) women and health: (4) violence against women: (5)
woman and armed conflict: (6) women and the economy: (7) women in power and decision-
making: (8) Institutional mechanisms: (9) human rights of women: (10) women and media
(11) women and the environment: (12) the girl child.

The BPA affirmed the principles that would govern future actions and strategies for women,
and firmly set in place an agenda for empowering women by integrating their concerns in
national plans and policies. Governments and the UN agreed to promote gender
mainstreaming as a strategy to ensure that a gender perspective is reflected in all policies and
programs at the national regional and international levels.

For the Philippines, the Beijing Conference broadened the discussions on women’s rights to
include violence against women, women leadership and political participation and economic
concerns. It connected what were previously regarded as women’s Issues with other pressing
concerns on the environment, human rights, population, and armed conflict. The country also
adopted gender mainstreaming as the strategy to advance women’s rights in the country

Republic Act 9262: Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004

SECTION 1. Short Title.-This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Violence Against Women
and Their Children Act of 2004.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared that the State values the dignity of
woman and children and guarantees full respect for human rights. The State also uu the need
to protect the family and its members particularly women and children from violence and
threats to their personal safety and security

Towards this end, the State shall exert efforts to address violence committed against women
and children in keeping with the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution
and the Provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the convention on the
Elimination of all forms of discrimination Against Women Convention on the fights of the
Child and other international human rights instruments of which the Philippines is a party.
Gender Problems

Violence: sexual harassment. violence in intimate relationships, rape, trafficking, prostitution

Exploitation
Taking advantage of a person or group's subordinated position for increased benefits and decreased costs
Oppression (Violence)
Systematic control over another person or group; usually involves different institutions as mechanisms of
control
Patriarchy
A culture that systematically privileges a certain group—rich, male, white, heterosexual, masculine, able-
bodied, young— while disadvantaging all others.
Development
Development is having the freedom to achieve well-being by having the capacity to do and the capacity to
be. (Amartya Sen, 1992)

capacity to do capacity to be
to eat to be well-nourished
to wash to be clean
to have a home to be safe and secured
to study and learn to be aware and knowledgeable
to work to be productive and free to express one's
creativity
to consult with/ be treated by a health to be free from illness/ be healthy
professional
to play, have rest and recreation to be refreshed and renewed
to participate to be heard and to belong
to make decisions to be empowered

Well-being
The state, condition or position of having a full and satisfying life.

Human Development as a Human Right

The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all
peoples are entitled to participate in to, contribute and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political
development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.
The human person is the central subject of development and should be the active participant and beneficiary
of the right to development.

Article 1, UN Declaration on the Right to Development, December 4, 1986

Human development is a basic human right

The Big Picture: Gender and Development

 GAD is about recognizing that gender biases impede development because they prevent people from
attaining their full potentials (which will enable them to become effective contributors to
development) Gender issues are deterrents to development. Thus, it is important to address them in
planning, budgeting, and operationalizing these plans?
 GAD reflects a change in focus from women and their exclusion from development initiatives to the
relations of Inequality between women and men, and between dominant and marginalized sectors.
 And deliberately addresses them in the processes of developing, budgeting, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating programs, projects and services, particularly in government agencies

Why should we all be GAD advocates?

 Gender issues affect all of us. But instead of addressing them, we all contribute to their perpetuation.
 We are mandated by international treaties/commitments, laws and policies.
 We are custodians of peoples' trust and resources.

Gender Issues

Any issue or concern determined by gender-based and/or sex-based differences between women and men.

Gender issues include all aspects and concerns related to women's and men's lives and situation in society, to
the way they interrelate, their differences in access to and use of resources, their activities, and how they
react to changes, interventions and policies.

Gender issues are reflected through

 Gender Roles
 Gender Relations
 Gender Division of Labor
 Manifestations of Gender Bias
Biological determinism

The traditional view that the biological differences between males and females determines gender (roles,
responsibilities, and relations).

- Theory that biological differences between women and men dictate a difference in social roles and
personality

- These differences reinforce the notion that men are superior and women are inferior

• Male = man = masculine = dominant

• Female = woman = feminine = submissive

Unequal gender relations

Hierarchy between masculinity and femininity, between men and women:

"men are strong, women are weak = men should lead, women should follow"

Gender Stereotype

a generalised view or preconception about attributes or characteristics, or the roles that are or ought to be
possessed by, or performed by women and men.

It is harmful when it limits women's and men's capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their
professional careers and make choices about their lives.

Harmful stereotypes can be both hostile/negative (e.g., women are "maarte") or seemingly benign (e.g.,
women are "magaling magluto"). For example, the fact that child care responsibilities often fall exclusively
on women is based on the latter stereotype.

Stereotyping

Tendency or attitude to assign fixed, unquestioned, unexamined beliefs and perceptions about women and
men

Assumption: The ascribed attributes of men exclusively apply to all men and those of women exclusively
apply to all women in a given society.

Common Gender Stereotypes for Men Common Gender Stereotypes for

Women

Men are tough and powerful.
Men are unfeeling and insensitive.
Men are logical, sensible and rational.
Men are afraid to commit in a relationship and
form an attachment.
Women are helpless and childish.
Women are sensitive and intuitive.
Women are scatterbrained, unstable and
irrational.
Women can easily form deep emotional
attachments.
 Men are primarily interested in their careers or Women do not have a primary interest in
vocations. Men do not have a primary interest in their careers or vocations.
marriage and parenthood. Women are primarily interested in a long
term relationship and parenthood

Stereotypes

assumptions between what men and women want, can or should do and be (career tracking, job segregation)

Stereotyping

Making assumptions about a person based on popular generalizations about the group to which they belong

Sexism

hierarchically valued distinctions between gender roles & responsibilities (e.g., wives should do the house
keeping; office work has more prestige over house keeping)

Gender-Based Discrimination

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW):

any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression which has the purpose or effect of denying equal exercise of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in all fields of human endeavor.

Discrimination

prejudice against a person based on arbitrarily attributed characteristic (gender pay gap, glass ceiling)

Discrimination (Sexism)

Prejudicial treatment against a person or group considered different from a larger or more powerful group

Subordination

 Women are considered second-class citizens (“Women, submit to your husbands.”)

 Occupying a lower stratum in a hierarchy of relations, such as based on gender
 Secondary status of women in society Because of this, women have less access and control over the
resources and benefits
 Men continue to dominate the corporate world, politics and sports

Multiple Burden

Women perform several tasks and responsibilities despite their limited time and energy

Gender Issues
  "Marginalization" refers to a condition where a whole category of people is excluded from useful and
meaningful participation in political, economic, social, and cultural life.
 "Marginalized" refers to the basic, disadvantaged, or vulnerable persons or groups who are mostly
living in poverty and have little or no access to land and other resources, basic social and economic
services such as health care, education, water and sanitation, employment and livelihood
opportunities, housing, social security, physical infrastructure: and the justice system.
 Women's participation in development is limited to traditional programs and projects Women are
forced out into the periphery of economic and social life value of their activities are diminished or
not recognized
 Marginalization: leaving women out of situation analysis, issue identification, agenda-setting,
strategy formulation, decision-making processes, responses (reproductive work is not real work,
workers in the informal economy are not real workers)
 The treatment of a person or group’s interests as marginal or peripheral to the interests of a larger
group

Objectification:

Men as THE human, women as LESS THAN human, thus, OBJECTS for men’s purposes (hypersexualizat
ion in ads, video games: pornography; prostitution)