Are Filipino women still being discriminated against?

This is the big question that media and business tackled at a forum on “women's rights, the role of media and business” held at the Dusit Hotel Nikko last Friday, March 24, 2006. Sponsored by the Women's Feature Service (WFS) Philippines and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the well-attended forum was part of the women's month celebration. The forum's main objective was to re-introduce a 25-year-old treaty that promotes women's human rights called CEDAW – the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women to the media and business community.

CEDAW or the Women's Convention was explained by no less than the first Filipina and current chairperson of the U.N. CEDAW Committee, Ambassador Rosario Manalo. According to Manalo, this treaty was initiated by the Philippines who were then represented by Helena Benitez and then by Senator Leticia Shahani in the Commission on the Status of Women in the 60s. CEDAW was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1979 and became a treaty in September 3, 1981. As of March this year, 182 countries ratified the Women's convention.

With the Philippines as a State Party having signed and ratified CEDAW, NCRFW executive director Emmeline Verzosa gave media practitioners from print and broadcast, advertising executives and top management from the private sector some idea of the Philippine report to the CEDAW Committee. Each State Party reports to the Committee every four years on its compliance of its implementation of CEDAW which obligates them to repeal all discriminatory laws including cultural and social practices that discriminate against women. Verzosa announced that they are now preparing for August 2006, their date with the CEDAW Committee.

Atty. Carol Ruiz-Austria of the University of the Philippines College of Law stressed that human rights are inherent in all human beings. “Human rights per se do not come from law. We only use the law to claim and assert them,” she said. While there are many Philippine laws protecting women's rights such as the Anti-sexual Harassment Law, Anti-trafficking Law, Anti-rape Law, and the Anti-Violence against women and children Law, the implementation is a different story. The ongoing challenge is providing enabling conditions for women to claim and exercise their rights.

Veteran broadcaster Elizabeth Enriquez moderated the forum cum talk show. Ms. Aurora Javate de Dios, former CEDAW Committee member, led the panel of business icons in explaining the social and cultural realities of women. David Guerrero, advertising CEO of BBDO Guerrero Ortega admitted that they are mere “messengers communicating what clients want”. Business analyst Peter Wallace revealed that his female employees work from home on flexi-time. Myrna Yao, NCRFW chairperson and entrepreneur, talked about some of the obstacles women face in the workplace. Evelyn Singson, Management Association of the Philippines ' first woman president enumerated what policies the private sector can do for their female employees such as day care, breastfeeding rooms and flexi-time, among other management remedies, really looking at women's equal opportunities from hiring to training and promotions in advancing their careers.

As to the question above, here are some of the answers from the forum. Poverty, media bias, unhealthy workplace conditions, the absence of a divorce law, inadequate information and access to health services (due to the influence of a conservative Catholic Church) all point to existing discrimination against women.

More CEDAW awareness-raising activities are scheduled with a “knowledge fair and exhibit” in September for the treaty's silver anniversary. Meanwhile, try to examine how women and girl children are treated in your family, in your school, your office and your church. CEDAW grants women equal rights with men in economic, civil, political, social, cultural and family rights.