FULL PROTECTION OF WOMEN WORKERS PUSHED

In observance of the International Women's Day and in recognition of the significant role of Filipino women in modern nation-building, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. pushes anew his bill that seeks to expand the prohibited acts of discrimination against women workers.

The reelectionist senator noted that women have been outnumbering men not only in terms of population in the country but also in employment for the past few years. "Definitely, Filipino women are becoming a major economic force in the country. It is only proper that we gave them full protection," said Bong Revilla, one of the proponents of the Republic Act 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), there are around 2.3 million Filipinas holding managerial positions, from supervisors to executives. There are also more female than male professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants (69%), as well as more female overseas workers (over 50%). The International Labor Organization also says the ratio of women to men in executive positions in the Philippines is the highest in the world. A report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a non-profit research group, bared that while more established businesses are owned by men (66%), there are more budding entrepreneurs (69%) and new business owners (51%) among women, Of the 13 million employed women, 30% are self-employed.

The lawmaker pointed out that while Section 14, Article 2 of the Constitution obliges the government to

recognize the role of women in nation-building and to ensure the fundamental equality before the law of

women and men, enabling legislation to fully carry out this mandate is lacking. "Despite of this

development, discrimination against women generally still exists in the ordinary workplace. Filipino

women continue to suffer indignities in the course of their employment, merely

because they are women," he lamented.

Under Bong Revilla's Senate Bill no. 802, Section 135 of the Labor Code will be amended to include the

following as a discrimination act against women:

a). Giving preference to a male employee over a female employee in the hiring process, whether through notices, announcements or advertisements for employment and apprenticeship or in the actual recruitment, hiring or employment of workers where the particular job can be equally handled by a woman.

b). Favoring a male employee over a female employee with respect to dismissal of personnel or the application of the first in first out or other retrenchment policy of their employer.

"It also prohibits the denial to any women the benefits of employment or other statutory benefits under our laws by reason of her sex," Bong Revilla added.