GENDER

and

LABOR
Understanding other cross-cutting issues in gender
Lesson Objectives:

Understand the relationship of gender,

gender equality and labor.

Determine the status of gender equality in

the various sectors of the labor market.

Comprehend the salient policies on gender

equality in the labor market.
Definition of Terms:

 Labor – activities
pertaining to developing
goods and delivering
services for economic
reasons.

 Labor market – refers to

the supply of and demand
for labor in which
employees provide
(supply) and employers
provide (demand).
Definition of Terms:

 Economic Zone – an area
which the business trade laws
are different from the rest
which includes increased
trade balance, employer,
increase investment, job
creation and effective
administration.

 Gender Equality – all

genders have equal rights,
responsibilities and
opportunity
Definition of Terms:

 Gender – socially constructed
characteristics of men and
women
 Gender mainstreaming – a
tool of achieving a gender
equality perspective at all
stages and levels of policies,
programmes and projects.
Definition of Terms:

 Unionization – The
act/process of organizing
workers to become
members of a labor union
 Workforce – a sector in the
population engaged in
economic and productive
activities.
 Women face different constraints form men
in the labor market. This is recognized in the
Republic Act 9710, known as the Magna
Carta of Women, enacted in 2009.

 This act recognizes that equality of men and
women entails the abolition of the unequal
structures and practices that perpetuate
discrimination and inequality (PCW 2010)
 EMPLOYMENT SECTORS

Government
Business
Industry and Services/
Agriculture Tourism Processing Entrepreneurship
Manufacturing Public
Outsourcing
Sectors
1. Agriculture
 Women farmers do not have an
equal opportunity to acquire land
or register it in their own names.
 Women have fewer inheritance
rights than male farmers.

 Women are hindered in their

access to extension services,
skills development including
•
training in management and
marketing skills; and improves
farming equipment.
2. Industry and Manufacturing
Women working in economic
zones is estimated to represent Report suggests that working
64% of total employment and and living conditions are poor,
may be much higher in some that women find it difficult to
obtain work while pregnant
industries, such as electronics and after the birth of their baby,
and apparel (World Bank 2011a) and that unionization is
uncommon.
3. Tourism

Few women have

the educational
qualifications or
foreign language Women are more
skills to complete likely to be Waitresses or similar
for front-of-house employed as low-level positions
positions in the hotel housekeepers.
industry, as tour
guides, or in travel
agencies.
4. Business Processing Outsourcing

The Philippines’ information

Technology- business process
outsourcing road map (2011-2016) is
not gender-responsive and does not
address women’s constraints in
accessing higher paid work in non-
voice services or the likely growth
information technology and
engineering
5. Government Services/ Public Sectors

Women are constrained by being predominantly

employed in traditional, gender-stereotyped care
sector government occupations such as health
and education and they are under represented in
the higher-paying subsectors.

Generally, women in the civil sector ay still be
underpaid, given their levels of education,
experience and ability.
6. Entrepreneurship

 There has been rapid surge in the number

and proportion of female entrepreneurs in
developing countries (Minniti and Naude
2010, 280).

 One survey indicated that women
entrepreneurs are more likely than men to
be motivated by necessity; these are
livelihood-entrepreneurs attempting to
escape employment (Vietnam wWomen
Entrepreneurs Council 2007)
S al i e n t Policies on Gender E q u a l i t y in t h e
l a b o r Market
 Salient Policies on gender equality
in the labor market

The Philippine has ratified 34 ILO conventions and is party to all of

the fundamental United Nations human rights covenants and
conventions. Hene, the 1987 Constitution has enshrined these rights
• in Section 3, Article XIII (Bill of Rights) and in Section 14, Article II,
which ensures fundamental equality of women and men before the
law.

Article 3, Chapter I of the labor code, Acts 6725, 7192, 7877 and
• 8551- provide fundamental rights protection, including anti-
discrimination provisions and they ensure fundamental equality,
prohibition of sexual harassment and temporary special measure
 Salient Policies on gender
equality in the labor market

•
Magna Carta of Women (Women Rep. Act 9710) is
an overall legislative framework that articulates the
specific rights, needs and support required by
women in their general and working lives.

2012, the Philippines became the first country in
Asia to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Conventio
• n , 2011 (189)
 Salient Policies on
gender equality in the
labor market

In 2013, Pres. Aquino signed

a new law (RA 10361)
known as “Batas
Kasambahay” (Domestic
Workers Act) in order to
protect this large group of
mostly young female
workers.
SUMMARY…
Gender, gender equality and labor market are very important
principles and are related to one another. Gender equality is
not properly implemented in the labor market as women still
are treated with disfavor and discrimination. Policies are in
place to address gender inequality, still, the issue persists
and prevails up to present.

Reference/(s): “ Gender Equality in the Labor Market in the Philippines”

© 2013 Asian Development Bank https://www.adb.org/sites/default/f iles/publication/ 31194/gender-
equality-labor-market-philippines.pdf Peralta, et.al. (2019)