Women and Economics

Purpose of addressing women’s problem in economics: 

1.  To eliminate discrimination against women.

2.  Economic development – this goal can only be attained if women will be given opportunity to be part of the

solution.

“It is important to enable women to participate in economic activity. It is one of the ways for any country in the

world to accelerate development and to eliminate poverty as women will invest their incomes in their child’s

health, nutrition and education that will in turn improve their family’s living condition.” – Catherine M. Russell - the

US Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues 

Factors that affects the economic rights of women:

1.  Culture and Religion

In Asjari v. Ermita, the trial court held tha t “the preference for men over women may be religion or culture-

based, not sexual discrimination.” Relying on custom, the trial court explained that the husband should have

ultimate authority over property “because tradition and experience show that, in very serious matters

concerning the family, it is usually the husband who makes ultimate choices.” 

2.  Existing Laws

The Muslim Code, promulgated by Presidential Decree in 1977, operates as a parallel set of family lawprovisions for the Muslim population of the Philippines. The Muslim Code contains many provisionsmirroring those in the pre-revision Civil Code. For instance, under both Codes, a woman may not sharedomestic roles equally with her husband, choose her residence, or keep parental authority over her childrenif her husband dies and she remarries. Additionally, both Codes restrict women’s economic power bylimiting their access to the court system, their ability to seek employment outside the home, and their right toinherit property.

-Protecting Women’s Human Rights: A Case Study in the Philippines 

Statistics related to women and economics – According to Philippine Commission on Women

 

 

Problems:

1.  Implementation and compliance with existing laws protecting the economic rights of women.

2.  The Family and Muslim Codes similarly deny women equal property rights. The Family Code provides thatin the administration of marital or children’s property “[i]n case of disagreement,” the husband or father’s“decision shall prevail.” The Muslim Code goes even further, conditioning the wife’s acquisition of propertyfrom non-relatives on her husband’s consent. It further denies mothers the ability to administer children’sproperty unless the father is absent and grants guardianship of a minor’s property to the father, paternalgrandfather, their representatives, or the court. Women’s property rights are critical since they are closelylinked to economic power. The CEDAW Committee considers them “central to a woman’s right to enjoyfinancial independence” and “her ability to earn a livelihood and to provide adequate housing and nutritionfor herself and for her family.” When men have final authority over property, they have ultimate access towealth, and women are disempowered and dependent.

-Protecting Women’s Human Rights: A Case Study in the Philippines

Proposal:

Make certain improvements or amendments to some provisions of the law specifically those laws which

directly affect the rights of women. Further, to petition the government to make a stringent implementation of the

existing laws providing protection for the women’s right. The provisions of the Family Code relating to property rights

must be revised in order to give equal footage between the husband and wife in administering their properties.

House Bill 4643, authored by Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo I (2nd District, Valenzuela City), seeks to encourageemployers to recruit and hire more women in the workplace, eliminating the big stumbling block to women’semployability. Under the measure, any employer found guilty of favoring a male employee over a female employeewith respect to dismissal of personnel or the application of any retrenchment policy of the employer solely on accountof their sexes shall be fined or suffer imprisonment or both.