Too few women in politics—Pia Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines—There are too few women in politics, according to Sen. Pia Cayetano, who called on political parties to field more women candidates in the 2016 elections to give them a greater role in charting the country’s course.

Cayetano said more women need to be involved in governance and policy-making considering they make up half of the country’s population. They have much to offer, she added.

For the United Nations and Inter-Parliamentary Union, 30 percent is a “significant benchmark” for women’s participation, she noted.

In a statement as the country prepares to observe International Women’s Day on Sunday, she noted that out of the Senate’s 24 members, only six, or 25 percent of its membership, are women. In the House of Representatives, only 79 out of 290 members are women, which is just 27 percent. Leila B. Salaverria