Pass 2 women’s bills already, House lawmaker prods Senate

A House lawmaker on Friday urged the Senate to pass its own versions of two pending women’s rights bills as the 19th Congress is set to reconvene on July 22.

In a statement, Deputy Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera said that the House of Representatives was “ready to meet their respective contingents” for House Bills No. 4479 and 8009, which have been transmitted to the upper chamber since last year.

HB 4479 is an antidiscrimination in the workplace bill seeking to amend the Labor Code, while HB 8009 expands the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, or Republic Act No. 9262 by including many provisions to hold accountable those who use electronic ways to commit their crimes against women.

Both were approved for final reading at the lower chamber in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and are awaiting their Senate versions so the two chambers can meet in bicameral conference.

Strong support for women

Herrera said the two bills were “sterling examples of the convergence and strong support in the House for women.”

“There is mutual respect between the House majority and minority especially on the most pressing social issues HB 4479 and HB 8009 represent,” Herrera said. “I am optimistic HB 4479, HB 8009 and their Senate versions will be enacted into law within the next few months.”

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Currently, the Philippines leads Asia as the most gender-equal country based on the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index Report by the World Economic Forum.

Nevertheless, the same index showed that the Philippines now ranked 25th among 146 in terms of closing the gender gap—a far cry from its sixth placing when the report was first launched in 2006.

‘Restricted rights’

The index grades four dimensions: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment. While it got a perfect score in gender parity in educational attainment, it was among the lowest performers in the Health and Survival subindex.

The report also notes that women have “restricted rights” when it comes to the right to divorce.

The report’s broader conclusions find that while worldwide gender inequality had narrowed marginally over the past year, it is now estimated to take 134 years—or five generations—to close the global gender gap.