3. Examining e-government through a gender lens

3. 1 WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE PHILIPPINES: AN OVERVIEW

In the UN Gender Development Index 2014, that provides a gendered analysis of a country’s human development attainments in the areas of health, education and command over economic resources, the Philippines ranks 17 of 78 countries.37 The 2014 Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum ranks the Philippines 9 out of 142 countries,38 with high ratings for educational attainment, health and survival sub-indices, but low for political empowerment and economic participation categories.

Other statistics testify to the achievements of the country in women’s education. In its 2014 report on the progress towards MDGs, the National Economic Development Authority observed that in secondary education, girls consistently outnumber boys.39 The percentage of women in higher and professional education is also increasing. For example, in the school year 2009-2010, 57.44% of graduates were female. Similarly, in the same year, the percentage of professionally licensed women was 64%.40 However, access to education is not translating into enhanced economic and political participation.

The Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics-Department of Labor and Employment (BLES-DOLE) placed the total number of employed women in the Philippines in 2014 at 15.3 million, a figure that was lower than the total male employment by over 8.2 million.41 Women are also over-represented in the Business Process Outsourcing industries and in unskilled and unprotected jobs (both in the overseas and domestic economies).42

In the area of women’s political empowerment, the lack of women’s meaningful representation and participation in elected office and other decision-making bodies, and lack of electoral mechanisms guaranteeing gender balance in political and decision-making positions, continue to be critical concerns.

With regards health, the Fifth Report on Millennium Development Goals (2014) of the National Economic Development Authority stated that maternal mortality ratio in 1990 was 209 per 100,000 live births but the figure has risen to 221 by 2011, after reaching a low of 162 in 2006.43 The performance lag in the health sector can be attributed to the inadequate number of health professionals, the inadequate facilities in rural and marginalized areas, and the influence of the Catholic Church in creating a public discourse discouraging the use of artificial contraceptives.44

3.2 KEY MILESTONES IN THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE GENDER EQUALITY AGENDA IN THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) was established in 1975. The gender equality principle was enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution and, shortly after, the “Women in Nation Building Act” was passed, which promoted the integration of women as full and equal partners in development and nation building.45 The NCRFW became the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in 2009, the lead advocate for government-wide gender mainstreaming, “the strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects in all social, political, civil, and economic spheres so that women and men benefit equally”.46 The Gender Focal Point System (GFPS) was also introduced. This is a system where a person is identified as a gender focal point “in all government instrumentalities tasked to catalyze and accelerate gender mainstreaming.”47 The highlights of the gender strategies and policies from the Marcos Administration onward are presented in Annex 1.

The Gender and Development Budget Policy of 1992 allocates at least 5% of the budget of national and local agencies for gender and development programmes. However, the limited number of PCW personnel makes monitoring the implementation of this policy a challenge.48 In 2014, the PCW started using the Gender Mainstreaming Monitoring System to track gender mainstreaming trends in government. It automates the Gender and Development Plan and Budget and the Gender and Development Accomplishment Report. Many national government agencies and local government units still need to be oriented to the use of the system.

The Philippine government has a strong legal and policy framework to protect and promote women’s rights. Aside from the Women in Nation Building (1992) and the Magna Carta of Women (2009), other important legislation for gender equality are the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act, 1995; Anti Sexual Harassment Act, 1995; Anti Rape Law, 1997; Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, 2003; and Anti Violence Against Women and Children Act, 2004.49

Currently, some key priority areas being addressed in policy and programming, which address e-government with regards to furthering the women’s empowerment and gender equality agenda are:

  1. The unequal participation of women in the formal labor market: The 2011-2016 Plan of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has identified the need to address gender equality issues in work and work places; provide labor market intermediation aided by technology to increase geographic, occupational and social mobility; and provide social protection that is critical for equity; among its key priorities.50 DOLE also plans to increase ICT literacy competency to promote a globally competent and flexible workforce.51
  2. Information for agricultural workers and women farmers: As agriculture is a sector of the economy that employs a large number of women, the extension programmes of the Department of Agriculture such as Farmers’ Contact Centers, and the Farmers Information Technology Services Centers where infomediaries assist farmers to access information related to agriculture, fisheries and forestry over the Internet, are also critical for women. However, the extent to which women farmers utilize these services is not clearly known at this point.
  3. Protecting the rights of women in low-skilled, low-paid, and unprotected jobs in the informal sector: The PCW’s Women’s Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality Plan identified the difficulties experienced by women in the informal sector and in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).52
  4. Inclusive health services: The Department of Health crafted the National Objectives for Health 2011-2016, which uses ICT in health programmes and administration. The e-Health Strategic Framework Plan 2013-2017 outlines its programmes for better service delivery including improving the Telemedicine programme. The expansion of the coverage of Philippine Health Insurance and the implementation of the PhilHealth Electronic Claims Systems streamlines key processes like membership and benefits for primary health care in all government and private hospitals and rural health units.53

Since 2007, the Philippine Commission on Women has been working towards institutionalized gender-mainstreaming efforts in Reproductive Health service delivery and population development planning at the national and local level.54

 

  1. UNDP Human Development Index Report 2014, http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-5-gender-related-development-index-gdi, Retrieved September 2015.
  2. World Economic Forum (2014), The Global Gender Gap Index 2014, http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2014/rankings/, Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  3. NEDA (2014), Fifth Progress Report on Millennium Development Goals 2014, http://www.gov.ph/2014/08/22/5th-progress-report-millennium-development-goals/, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  4. Shahani, L. R. (2015), Engendering development: the Status of Women in the Philippines, http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/03/02/1428959/engendering-development-status-women-philippines, Retrieved 16 November 2015
  5. Philippine Statistical Authority 2015, Current Labour Statistics -September 2015, Table 9, http://www.bles.dole.gov. ph/PUBLICATIONS/Current%20Labor%20Statistics/STATISTICAL%20TABLES/PDF/Tab9.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. Philippine Statistics Authority (2014), One in every two OFWs is an unskilled worker, https://psa.gov.ph/content/one-every-two-female-ofws-unskilled-worker-results-2013-survey-overseas-filipinos, Retrieved 16 November 2015; Philippine Commission on Women. Women Empowerment, Development and Gender Equality 2013-2016; Foundation for Media Alternatives (2013), Baseline Reporting of VAW/eVAW and its reporting system in the Philippines, http://www.genderit.org/sites/default/upload/philippines_baseline_report_full_text_0.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  7. National Economic Development Authority (2014), Fifth Progress Report Millenium Development Goals, http://www.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PH-5TH-MDG-PROGRESS-REPORT_Nov-4-ver.pdf, Retrieved 05 December 2015.
  8. “Philippines: Maternal mortality rates ‘not making sufficient progress’” (2009), IRIN, March 24, http://www.irinnews. org/report/83609/philippines-maternal-mortality-rates-not-making-sufficient-progress, Retrieved September 2015.
  9. Republic Act No. 7192 (1992), http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/population/womenrights/philippines.women.92.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015
  10. Philippine Commission on Women and National Economic and Development Authority (2011) http://www.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GFP-Memorandum-Circular-2011-1.pdf
  11. Ibid.
  12. The PCW is authorized 63 plantilla positions and only 60 have been filled up. Commission on Audit (2012) http://www.coa.gov.ph/phocadownloadpap/userupload/annual_audit_report/ngas/2012/National-Government-Sector/Office-of-the-pres/PCW_ES2012.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  13. Asian Development Bank (date unknown), Gender Analysis Summary – Country Partnership Strategy Philippines 2011-16, http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/linked-documents/cps-phi-2011-2016-ga.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  14. Department of Labor and Employment(2011), The Philippine Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016, http://www.dole.gov.ph/fndr/bong/files/PLEP-26%20April%20version.pdf, Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  15. Department of Labor and Employment, The Philippine Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016, op. cit.
  16. NEWC (2014), Gender and ICT in the Digital Age, NWEC Leader Seminar Report.
  17. Department of Health and Department of Science and Technology (2013), Philippines eHealth and Strategic Framework Plan, www.doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Philippines_eHealthStrategicFrameworkPlan_February02_2014_Release02.pdf, Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  18. Philippine Commission on Women, Gender mainstreaming and institutionalization in Reproductive Health (RH) service delivery and Population Development Planning, http://www.pcw.gov.ph/unfpa/gender-mainstreaming-rh-service-delivery-popdev-planning, Retrieved 18 November 2015.