Filipinas still have to fight for empowerment

Nora O. Gamolo, Senior Desk Editor
Manila Times

PRESIDENT Arroyo proudly says that “The Philippines is on schedule in achieving gender equality by 2015.”

The Switzerland- based World Economic Forum ranked 128 countries of the world in terms of gender equality, and gave the country the sixth slot. The country bested even its political mentor, the United States, which ranked only 31st. The second highest ranking Asian country, Thailand, ranked 52nd.

n closing the so-called gender gap, or the lack of equality between the sexes, only the four Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and New Zealand bested the Philippine in terms of closing the gender gap, particularly in terms of health and education.

In fact, according to a study on the United Nations Millennium Goals, the Arroyo government has a huge budgetary gap in achieving the ideal budgetary support for maternal health and childcare and in combating diseases, all major women’s concerns.

The budgetary gap results in women and their families churning out more of their precious resources on health expenditures. Personal health expenditures reach 47 percent to maintain one in a state of optimum health. Only 29 percent is shared by government, 9.2 percent is shared by the health insurance agency PhilHealth; and 13.5 percent is shared by employers or private insurance companies.

Just the same, with glorious reviews of its performance in women-oriented programs and projects, President Gloria Arroyo can claim that her administration is meeting the Millennium Development Goal for gender equality.

The second woman president of the land also boasted that UN economist Jeffrey Sachs had once told her that the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004 to 2010 (which contains an integrated women’s development plan) is the best national development plan he has seen.

Mrs. Arroyo also boasts of the Philippines’ foresight of allotting five percent of its development budget to projects promoting women, gender and development. Even small business and cooperative laws have given women a special focus.
Women figure even in peace and order programs. To help enforce this, the PNP has increased the number of policewomen to be hired from 300 to 400 yearly, or 20 percent of the total. After years of internal debate among officers, women are now admitted in the Philippine Military Academy and the women cadets are among the best and brightest.

The country has enacted various laws protecting women and giving them assistance: Anti-Violence Against Women, Solo Parenting Law, Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, Anti-Trafficking Law, among others.

Still, in her address to women’s leaders on March 7, even the President admitted that many things remain to be done to give better services to women. The government has to ensure that health services to pregnant women for safe motherhood and natural family planning services will be delivered on time.

Labor groups like the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines testify that women still suffer discrimination in the workplace and they are the greater number of informal workers in need of assistance and protection.

While women’s increased participation in the labor force has been trumpeted, as more women now turn up as supervisors, women workers have been found to be in jobs that have higher separation rate and faster turnovers. Women are more vulnerable due to the contractualization schemes.

This year, the government launched two programs aimed at giving the Filipino woman the “right break so she can go as far and as fast as her talent can bring her.”

One project launched is HATAW (Harnessing Appropriate Technology to Assist Women) and POWER (Projects for Women Entrepreneurs) . HATAW seeks technology-based solutions to community-based problems and address women’s lack of economic opportunities. It is for “bold, innovative and inventive women who will see development through the prism of science.”

Mrs. Arroyo asserted it would also “mesh local knowledge system with modern technology to create value- added products and services out of available and abundant resources in the area.” She is looking at more practical applications like resolving janitor fish infestation by harvesting them for fuel, and tapping safe biotechnology practices for food production and bankrolling new food preservation techniques.

The President said the government has funds to “bankroll [women’s] vision” since P380 million has been earmarked in the 2008 budget of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for technology innovation and commercialization.
A P50-billion loan facility will be made available in various lending windows for micro, small and medium enterprises, and another P34 million for microfinance in the 2008 budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Both Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are led by women Cabinet members.

POWER, according to the President, would be for women entrepreneurs who need additional capital, “those whose expansion plans are blocked by the lack of wherewithal.” Funds poured by the government into these programs are “wise investment” if only because women have steely credit discipline “so what will be lent [to them] will be recouped.”
Prospective POWER projects include the Botika ng Barangay and Tindahan Natin, almost all of which were initiated by women individual or women’s groups. The government will establish 3,200 Botika branches this year, while the Tindahan program will be expanded.

Dissatisfaction prevails

Massive dissatisfaction, however, prevails among women with government’s failings to enforce the laws for which the country earned tremendous accolades.

Poverty alleviation has not been achieved, even with tremendous funds spent on it for decades, and unachieved even with supposed high growth rates.

Said the Gabriela national women’s coalition, “The economic situation in 2007 was a trick, and not a trickle-down effect of the supposed economic growth. The extent of belt-tightening is most felt by women who are usually tasked to do the almost impossible chore of making ends meet with their family’s meager budget.”

The 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) shows that expenditure of the bottom 30 percent Filipino families is bigger than what they actually earn. The disparity of income is still glaring as only the richest 10 percent accounts for a third of the total family income of the country. Between 2003 and 2006, poverty worsened. Out of 100 Filipinos, 33 were poor in 2006, compared to 30 in 2003.

The extended family system of Filipinos saves the day for many Filipinos. To get by, many Filipino families rely on relatives from whom they borrow money.

Filipino women’s groups are aghast that the official poverty threshold in 2007 is P41 a day, which means that other women’s and family needs will have to be left unmet. According to the Center for Women’s Resources, a women’s research group that had been monitoring corruption issues since Arroyo assumed power in 2001, many gaps in social services could have been addressed using the amount that was allegedly pocketed from overpricing, kickbacks and cash-gifts giving.
In fact, all the questions posed on corruption issues prompted the women’s march on International Women’s Day.
Women’s groups also demystify the myth that Filipino women have already broken free from oppression and inequality, contending that they are still victims of domestic violence, comprising 76.2 percent of all reported cases. In 2007, a woman is battered every one hour and 50 minutes. Rape is committed against a woman every seven hours and 30 minutes.
Poverty makes women very vulnerable to prostitution and trafficking within or outside the country. Every year, about 300,000 persons are victims of trafficking worldwide. Victims are usually women and children from Southeast Asia like the Philippines. Worse, more trafficking victims end up in jail than repatriated.

Since 2001, there has been a decline by 14.4 percent in the number of cases of violence against women reported to PNP, and by 0.7 percent to DSWD. There is a need to assess the causes of this decline.

Said the CWR, “One hypothesis is the existence of RA 9262, or Anti-Violence Against Women and Children [VAWC], wherein VAWC cases shall be reported to all barangay centers. However, there is still a need for systematic evaluation and assessment in its implementation in the barangay level, such as: in the number of cases facilitated, in the number of cases resolved or filed in court, and even in the level of awareness of barangay residents about the provisions in RA 9262.”
Women’s groups are bitter because barangay courts simply dismiss cases of violence against women, or even force women to make up with their violent husbands, “for the children and family.”

In the Department of Justice Task Force (DOJ-TF) that handles cases of VAWC, two were dismissed, of the 24 cases filed since 2005. Twenty-two (22) are still in preliminary investigation and one still to be filed in the courts. Since 2003 until 2006, 186 cases of trafficking of women have been filed in DOJ, yet only seven cases were resolved, convicting the perpetrators with violation of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act (RA 9208).

Civil society is now seen as a helping hand by women, even if that is not its proper role. Gabriela has been receiving requests for assistance in the increasing number of VAW cases brought to them. VAW cases reported to them in 2006 reached 284; it reached 573 in 2007.

Women’s groups, among the most militant in the country, have also challenged the militarization campaigns now being waged by the government. The counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 has displaced two million people. In Mindanao, the military intensified its operations against the Abu Sayyaf and has forcibly evacuated 95,000 to 115,000 persons, said the militant women’s coalition Gabriela.

All over the country, women are among the victims of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other kinds of abuse committed either by soldiers, paramilitary units or groups known to be associated with AFP officers.