Despite ranking 16th among 146 countries in the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index report, the Philippines still has a long way to go to close the gender gap due to cases of unreported domestic violence against women and child marriages, according to the United Nations Population Fund country representative Leila Joudane.
“We see many Filipinas in top positions not just in government, but also in the private sector, and most especially in civil society,” Joudane said in a statement when the country commemorated International Women’s Day.
“Women in the Philippines experience many freedoms, at least when compared to their peers in other countries… But while we enjoy such successes, the Philippines, alongside other countries, still has a long way to go towards achieving the goal for gender equality,” she added.
She cited the 2022 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey which showed that 18 percent of Filipino women suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from their partners. Two of five victims of gender-based violence in the Philippines did not seek help, she added.
The NDHS report also showed that 286,000 or 5.6 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 were married or in union, worsening the problem of child marriage in the Philippines that impede the youth from finishing their education.
Joudane reiterated the call for more pro-women pieces of legislation following the passage of the law that punishes child marriages in the country. She cited the proposed “Adolescent Pregnancy” law which seeks to address the issue by allowing reproductive health services for those aged 15 to 18 without the need for parental consent.
“But it’s not just about women’s health. It’s about dismantling the power structures that perpetuate gender inequality,” she added.
Our high ranking in the WEF Global Gender Gap Index report may be impressive, but it does not mean that the problem has been comprehensively addressed. Many festering issues remain, and much of those cannot be addressed properly because it is unreported. Domestic violence against women and child marriages have recently been given attention, but we must continue to shine the spotlight and work together as a society until the gender gap is truly closed.
That means instead of resting on our laurels, we have a lot more work ahead of us.*
