The call for gender equality grows louder than ever, but it still falls on deaf ears.
In the Philippines, this struggle is far from new; unfortunately, women are always on the receiving end of this constant precarious reality.
On March 8, hundreds of women and gender advocates from multi-sectoral progressive groups filled the streets of Manila to demand accountability and change, marking the commemoration of this year’s International Working Women’s Day (IWWD).
Central to this year’s observance is resisting gender-based discrimination and violence, while amplifying the people’s demands for equal rights to education, jobs, and healthcare. The protest included an assembly and cultural performances at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, a cut-short program in front of the Isetann mall in Recto, and a solidarity caravan to support the Nexperia workers’ strike in Cabuyao, Laguna fighting for a wage increase and job security.
Women in the workplace
The 1987 Philippine Constitution has long recognized the fundamental right of women to be treated equally. Article 2 Section 14 specifically states that “The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.” However, despite this recognition, the full enjoyment of women’s rights remains challenged by persistent systemic repression and discrimination.
For 25-year-old Ann (not her real name), a regular worker at a logistics company, working in today’s economic and political climate is a matter of survival. Despite the capability of women to perform the same tasks as men, one uncomfortable reality remains: Women face unequal opportunities, with little job security offered.
“Kaya namang gawin ng babae ‘yong mga kayang gawin ng lalaki. Siguro, hindi lang lahat…Ang isyu lang, kasi siyempre, hindi agad nare-regular ang mga babae kasi nga mas demand ang lalaki. So siyempre, paano mabubuhay ng nanay ‘yong anak niya kung wala siyang permanenteng trabaho,” Ann explained.
[A woman is capable of doing what a man can do. Maybe not all things… The issue is that, of course, women are not immediately regularized because men are in higher demand. So how can a mother support her child if she doesn’t have a permanent job?]
This issue hits hard for women, especially as the gender gap in labor force participation persists, often confining women only to domestic roles.
GABRIELA National Capital Region (NCR) chairperson Mariz Garcia said this cultural view is a significant factor in their continued marginalization.
“Hindi totoo na ang kababaihan ay domestic lang o kaya ay pambahay o kaya ay alila sa loob ng tahanan. Ang kababaihan ay may karapatan [din] na kumilos at magpahayag ng kanilang kalagayan.”
[It is not true that women are only domestic workers, household caretakers, or slaves within the home. Women also have the right to act and express their stance]
Garcia also pointed out that women’s contributions are crucial in national development, all while the government “reaps its benefits for self-serving interests and pushes women to extreme disadvantage.”
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) organizer Joanne Cesario emphasized that the problem lies not only in culture but also in the deeply embedded semi-feudal and semi-colonial systems that restrict women’s access to secure and decent work.
“Lahat ng mga maaaring maging trabaho ng kababaihan ay precarious or walang katiyakan. So kapag pinag-usapan natin ‘yong kalagayan ng kababaihan, hindi lang tayo nakatingin doon sa macho-feudal na kultura pero ‘yong pangkabuuang sistemang panlipunan na hinahayaang mamayagpag ‘yong pagiging confined ng kababaihan sa bahay. Hindi nabibigyan ng karapatang magtrabaho, mag-aral at magparticipate sa lipunan,” Cesario said.
(“All the jobs that women can have are precarious or uncertain. So when we talk about the situation of women, we are not just looking at the macho-feudal culture, but the overall social system that allows the domestic confinement of women. They are not given the right to work, to study, or to participate in society.)
Anti-worker laws, policies
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is tasked to protect the rights and welfare of the workers. However, it frequently falls short. Cesario even redefines the ‘E’ in DOLE as “exploitation” rather than employment.
“Sa halip na magsilbi sa manggagawa, inuuna ng DOLE ang interes ng malalaking dayuhang negosyo. Dapat tawagin na lang din sila Department of Business kung ganun. Ang mga anti-manggagawang kautusan tulad ng AJ [Assumption of Jurisdiction] ay may presyo, nabibili at nababayaran ‘yan ng malalaking kumpanya. Kitang kita kung saan nakasandig ang DOLE — dun sa kung saan sila makikinabang at kikita. Kung hindi naman pala iniisip ng departamentong ito ang kapakanan ng manggagawa, ano pang silbi nila?” she added.
[Instead of serving the interests of the workers, the DOLE prioritizes large foreign businesses. They should just be called the Department of Business! Anti-worker orders like the AJ [Assumption of Jurisdiction] have a price; they can be bought and paid for by big companies. It’s obvious where DOLE stands — where they can benefit and profit. If this department doesn’t consider the welfare of workers, then what is its purpose?]
For Cesario, it is imperative to have labor and gender-responsive policies and laws in the country. Historically, labor groups like KMU have since pushed for reforms to ensure the rights of women workers and all workers nationwide. At the same time, Cesario added that national industrialization and genuine land reform must be upheld to create more decent and regular jobs for women.
GABRIELA Partylist representative Arlene Brosas echoed the same sentiment, saying that despite the contributions of workers, they continue to “face low wages and an ineffective system of protection.”
“Sa totoo lang, maraming batas ang nagkukunwari na pro-people siya pero ang totoo, anti-people policies…Yung mga batas in paper lang pero sa actual, hindi naman talaga nakapagbibigay ng tulong sa mga manggagawa kaya parang ang nangyayari, false hope lang ang hinaharap ng ating manggagawa,” Brosas asserted.
(“Many laws pretend to be pro-people, but in reality, these are anti-people policies…These laws exist ideally on paper, but in execution, they don’t really help the workers, so what happens is that our workers are faced with false hope.”)
Breaking barriers
Brosas underscored that the gender pay gap remains an issue in the fight for workplace equality. She noted that women still earn less than men, particularly in the agricultural sector, where women are expected to work for less pay despite contributing significantly to the workforce.
In 2018, the Center for Women’s Resources reported that female farmworkers often earn less than their male counterparts for similar work. Data from PSA further noted that men in agriculture were paid P310.16 per day, while women received only P285.51 daily or P24.65 less.
In Metro Manila, the minimum wage stands at P640, an amount that is still insufficient amid the soaring price of basic commodities. Brosas, alongside various labor advocates, continues to push for a liveable wage of at least P1,200 per day to ensure that workers meet their essential needs.
Meanwhile, she also emphasized the significance of collective action to urge the government to support workers in protecting their rights. She noted that this can be achieved through educational discussions, mobilizations, and organizing unions within the workforce rather than vilifying workers for being organized and critical.
The following are also the five-point agenda of GABRIELA:
1. Lipunang kumakalinga sa mamamayan
2. Agrikultura at industriyang maunlad na magtitiyak ng kabuhayan ng Pilipino
3. Bayang nagtataguyod ng karapatan at kagalingan ng kababaihan
4. Abot-kayang presyo ng batayang pangangailangan at serbisyong panlipunan
5. Nagkakaisang sambayanan para sa kasarinlan, kalayaan at katarungan
English translation
1. Lifeblood of the people, a society that nurtures its citizens
2. Advancing agriculture and industry to secure livelihood for Filipinos
3. Bastion of rights and welfare for women
4. Affordable prices for basic needs and social services
5. Nation united for sovereignty, freedom, and justice
“Kaya hindi lamang sa panahon ng Marso 8, pinapanawagan ito. Kundi hangga’t hindi lumalaya ang kababaihan sa lahat ng atake, karahasan, panggigipit , pananakot, pagdukot, pagkulong, ay mananatili ang kababaihan na titindig sa paglaban para mabigyan ng hustisya at matamasa ng mga manggagawang kababaihan yung kanilang karapatan at benepisyo na dapat nilang makamit,” Garcia stressed.
[That’s why the fight does not end on March 8, for as long as women remain oppressed by all forms of attack, violence, harassment, threats, abduction, and imprisonment, women will continue to stand up in the fight for justice and for women workers to achieve the rights and benefits they deserve]
Until these demands are met, only then can women workers dismantle the systems that hinder their access to a decent and dignified life.
