More women-friendly worksites sought

MANILA, Philippines - With the feminization of the local construction and other male-dominated industries, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Thursday pushed for the adoption of more women-friendly worksites in the country.

Gerard Seno, TUCP executive vice president, said there is a need to improve existing workplaces and make them women-friendly as more Filipinas now opt to take up technical-vocational education and enter male-dominated companies.

“I think our traditional frame of mind should begin to accept changes such as these as we continue to honor our Filipina women for their invaluable contribution to the family and for the positive impacts they have made in our society,” Seno said.

According to Seno, the growing number of women in male-dominated industries was due to the slowdown in manufacturing and service sectors where females were traditionally employed.

He lauded the effort of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for facilitating the skills training of 4,200 female workers.

Thousands of jobs in the United Arab Emirates await women specializing in electrical installation and maintenance, plumbing, refrigeration, air-conditioning and automotive mechanic, according to Seno.

TESDA earlier reported that women made up 53 percent of the more than 1.7 million technical-vocational graduates last year.

“Though it’s very uncommon to see Filipinas in difficult jobs, we have to accept, appreciate and value their contribution rather than be indifferent to them,” Seno said.