2024 National Women’s Month calls for a Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas
This year’s National Women’s Month is not just a celebration, it calls for transformation.
This year’s sub-theme, “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipnas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!,” embodies the unwavering commitment to break down barriers and empower women to fully contribute to building a more just and equitable Philippines.
This year, we challenge the shackles of stereotypes that confine and define women. We celebrate the spectrum of what they can be, their strength, their voices, the extent of their potential, and their wisdom. We acknowledge that they can be emotional but also strong, nurturing but also tough, emphatic but also assertive, independent but also sociable, career-oriented but also family-oriented, a homemaker but also an entrepreneur and a leader. We encourage women to make and embrace their choices — on marriage, on having kids (or not), on their bodies, on their behavior, on their lifestyle. We champion their right to carve their own path free from the constraint of societal expectations. This Women’s Month, we prove that being a woman is not a limitation, it is a boundless potential, it is a wellspring of power.
Gender stereotypes and norms can have far-reaching effects on women. These norms not only limit women’s opportunities and aspirations but also contribute to a culture of discrimination and violence. From the assumption that women are inherently nurturing and emotional, to the belief that they are less capable in leadership roles or STEM fields, these stereotypes hinder their choices, undermine self-confidence, and fuel gender-based disparities such as pay gaps, sexual harassment, and exclusion of women from decision-making tables, among others. Moreover, these stereotypes can create a breeding ground for violence, justifying everything from unwanted sexual advances to abuse in homes. Women and everyone, WE must shatter all the limitations and take the advocacy for gender equality to heart. Lines like “Babae kasi, kaya pala”, “Kababae mong tao”, and “Babae ka lang” have no place in this society. Women, your strength, your ambition, your dreams, your stories — they are all yours to claim. Society does not define your identity as a woman, instead, you have the power to define the woman you want to be in this society.
Indeed, our focus should remain steadfast on the ultimate goal — a society where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a lived reality. The Global Gender Gap Report 2023 paints a sobering picture: global parity is still projected to take 131 years, given our current progress. The Philippines ranks 16th globally with a 79.1% parity score. It stands as the second-best in East Asia and the Pacific and remains the sole Asian nation within the top 20. But the reality remains, if this pace goes on, we may not live to see the day where women are treated equally as men, on all fronts.
Thus, the time to double down on gender equality is now.
However, achieving this vision requires dismantling systemic barriers. This means creating an environment free from discriminatory practices and attitudes towards women and girls across all spheres of life, from families and religious institutions to education, sports, media, and beyond. Government agencies must strengthen gender mainstreaming, integrating it into their programs, activities, and projects. The legal framework should serve as the backbone of a society that protects marginalized groups, including girls, women with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Muslims, and those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SOGIE).
One key legislation aimed at the twin goal of gender equality and women empowerment is the Magna Carta of Women, a comprehensive law focused on advancing women’s human rights. Signed on August 14, 2009, this landmark legislation is turning 15 this 2024. Thus, the PCW encourages all key stakeholders involved in its implementation to intensify our efforts in eliminating all discrimination against women and promote their equal rights and opportunities in various aspects. This includes promoting gender equality across different dimensions, such as education and training, economic participation, health, and leadership and decision-making.
“This is the fifth treaty body report by the Philippines since 2022 following its constructive dialogue on the rights of the child, civil and political rights, migraAnother law setting a milestone this year is the Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (Anti-VAWC) Act. Marking its 20th year this 2024, exactly on the International Women’s Day, this law has been instrumental in providing legal protection and support services to victims of violence, deterring perpetrators, placing mechanisms to address VAW, and promoting a culture of respect and non-violence. This fight, however, is far from over. Hence, as we commemorate its 20th year on March 8, let us renew our commitment to maximizing the provisions of the law, addressing existing gaps, and working relentlessly towards a society where women and their children live free from fear and violence. A society rife with VAWC can never truly achieve gender equality. nt workers’ rights, and the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. The Philippines’ active engagement with the UN treaty body system reflects its strong commitment to its human rights obligations and the high importance it attaches to international norms-building and standard-setting”, PR Sorreta stated.
But the advocacy for gender equality requires not just good intentions. It comes with an inevitable component – the effective implementation of the Gender and Development (GAD) Budget. Introduced as a policy in 1995 as “The Women’s Budget,” this mandates all government departments and agencies to allocate a minimum of five percent (5%) of their total annual budgets for gender programs, projects, and activities. Gender-responsive budgeting takes a deeper dive into the different needs of everyone and ensures fair distribution and impact for all.
Realizing the full potential of the GAD budget requires assessment. Issues that can be encountered like inefficient distribution, lack of awareness, inadequate capacity, or improper targeting, must be addressed. To overcome these hurdles, we need stronger mechanisms for allocation, increased capacity-building initiatives, and targeted interventions that truly address women’s specific needs and priorities.
This resonates deeply with the International Women’s Day theme, “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” According to the UN Women, we are facing an alarming $360 billion annual gap in gender equality measures by 2030. Here in the Philippines, based on the 2021 GAD Budget Report by the PCW, overall, 3.5% (or PhP 250.8 billion) of the total budget appropriations of agencies covered in the report (amounting to PhP 7.1 trillion in 2021) were allocated for GAD programs, activities, and projects [this only covers the allocation of NGAs and SUCs (excluding GOCCs) that submitted their GPBs and GAD ARs to PC]. Furthermore, only 32% or 86 out of the 266 agencies covered in the analysis were able to comply with the 5% minimum GAD budget provision under Section 36 of the Magna Carta of Women.
Hence, the PCW, as the oversight body monitoring the use of the GAD budget, calls upon all stakeholders – government agencies, civil society organizations, and even individuals – to actively advocate for the effective utilization of the GAD budget. It is not merely financial considerations, it is a measure of equality. The efficient use of the GAD budget contributes to poverty alleviation by providing women with essential support. By strengthening institutions, enhancing social protection measures, and adopting financing strategies with a gender lens, we can empower women through equitable access to resources.
This National Women’s Month, let us embrace the WE in the theme, WE for gender equality and inclusive society. Women and everyone, WE must be united in breaking down gender norms and fostering a world where women can thrive. To do this, WE must put life into the letters of existing laws that protect women, including the Magna Carta of Women and the Anti-VAWC Act. A Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas, WE must build a society where the financial environment works for and with, not against, women. WE must echo their voices and harness their victories and potential as we say, “Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan!”
WE can and WE must pave ways for transformation until gender equality becomes a lived reality.
