Gender equality improvement, better work opportunities for women sought

Mamta Kumari, a farm worker, takes a brief break between harvesting wheat on a farm in Nanu village in Uttar Pradesh state, India, on Oct. 17, 2023. (File photo from Uzmi Athar/Press Trust of India via AP)

MANILA, Philippines — An international non-government organization (NGO) on Tuesday called for more efforts to improve gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

This clamor comes as the country observes National Women’s Month.

Oxfam Philippines made the pronouncement during its kick off of its gender equality campaign called “Dapat All Equal (It should be all equal).”

The agency is a branch of Oxford Committee for Famine Relief International that originated in Britain.

Its activity started on March 1 and it will run from 2024 to 2027 in Eastwood Mall in Quezon city.

“Advancing gender inequality is everyone’s responsibility,” Oxfam Philippines executive director Erika Geronimo said in a statement.

“We all have a role to play to shift mindsets, promote gender-responsive and inclusive programs, remove the barriers to gender equality, and increase investment in programs and services to close the gender gap in the country,” she noted.

Geronimo cited a 2023 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) Report by the World Economic Forum which showed the Philippines ranking 16th out of 146 countries in gender parity.

Oxford Philippines said political empowerment for women still remained low in the country.

Oxfam’s own study also showed a significant number of women face exclusion from economic opportunities and are burdened by domestic work and unpaid care.

The study indicated women spend up to 13 hours daily doing unpaid care and domestic work compared to eight hours for men.

From the record of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Philippines also ranked 12th in the number of child marriages globally.

This means one in every six Filipino girls get married before the age of 18.

Due to this, Geronimo emphasized the need to address the barriers to women’s economic empowerment.

Geronimo said government and people should value and invest in unpaid care and domestic work, universal social protection for all, and support women-led enterprises and community-based livelihoods.

She also called for an increase in public and private investment in live-saving gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programs and services, not just in normal times but during humanitarian crises.

Meanwhile, Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) deputy director for operations Josefina Balmes stressed the vicious impact of violence against women and girls.

She noted when society allows violence to happen, it makes it even more difficult for women and girls to seek help.

Oxford Philippines hopes these commitments will be amplified at the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women beginning March 11, 2024.

The Philippines is hosting the forum.