Sen. Edgardo J. Angara said there should be equal opportunities in the labor force after a recent study reported that women are more at risk of losing their jobs amid the ensuing economic crisis.
“The government and private sector institutions should develop and strictly implement gender-fair policies that protect women workers as well as promote opportunities for women's economic empowerment,” he said.
Analysis by the International Labor Organization and the World Bank revealed that female workers are more vulnerable to job loss, being seen as only the secondary or supplementary providers of income for households in Asia-Pacific countries.
The study also showed around 45 percent of working age women in Asia do not have regular employment, compared to only 19 percent of men.
“Even in the Philippines, where the number of female employees may be considered high, there is still a significant difference between men's and women's representation in the labor force,” said Angara.
Angara sponsored the Magna Carta for Women, which was passed into law in 2009. Also known as Republic Act No. 9710, it serves as a “bill of rights,” enumerating all the forms of discrimination against women and recommending special measures to achieve gender equality in the Philippines.
