The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) called for more employment opportunities for women after recent government data showed there are more women than men who have completed college and secondary education but the labor force participation is lower for women at 51.2 percent, compared to men at 75.4 percent.
It also pointed out that the unemployment rate is higher for women at 8.2 percent compared to men at 7.5 percent, and that there is a higher proportion of unpaid family women workers at 11.3 percent, compared to men at 4.7 percent.
In a statement, CPD executive director Lisa Grace Bersales said “We have come a long way, but we still have more work to do. We need more opportunities, particularly in fields that are dominated by men.”
As the country observes National Women’s Month, we are reminded that the gender is still faced with inequality, even if they have made the most of the opportunities to advance their education, which in theory, should have leveled the playing field.
Assuming that Filipino women are as qualified and competent as men, the significant discrepancy in labor force participation is a symptom that needs to be analyzed so a cure can be found, if the goal of advancement of women from different demographics is to be met, being among the main thrusts of the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action 2023-28.
All Filipinos, whether male or female, that want to be gainfully employed should be given equal opportunities. National Women’s Month gives us a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done if both the government and the private sector are going to achieve that goal together.*
