Anti-women discrimination bill passed in Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada lauded yesterday the approval on second reading of the bill that seeks to end job discrimination against women.

Estrada, principal author of Senate Bill 429 or “An Act Expanding the Prohibited Acts of Discrimination Against Women on account of Sex, Gender, Age, Race, Ethnic Origin, Religion or Beliefs, Disability or Other Status,” said the bill‘s approval was timed with the celebration of Women’s Week.

Presidential Proclamation 224 of 1988 declares the first week of March as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day.

Senate Bill 429 seeks to declare unlawful giving preference to a male employee over a female employee, whether through notices, announcements, or advertisements for employment and apprenticeship or in the actual recruitment.

Favoring a male employee over a female employee with respect to promotion, assignment, training opportunities, study and scholarship grants on account of sex or gender, is also prohibited under the proposed measure.

Also prohibited acts under the bill are the payment of a lesser remuneration, including wage, salary or fringe benefits to a female employee; dismissing a woman employee in favor of a male employee or having a retrenchment policy that retains men over women; and demoting or subjecting a woman employee to any other form of discrimination.

Senate Bill 429 also seeks to amend Article 137 of the Labor Code to expand prohibited acts of discrimination against women.

It shall also be unlawful for any employer to dismiss, discharge or prejudice a woman employee merely by reason of her marriage and her childcare responsibilities.

Violations shall be meted with a penalty of imprisonment of at least two years and a fine of not less than P50,000.

“The Philippine Constitution, specifically in Section 14, Article 2 explicitly stipulates the fundamental equality between women and men, recognizing the women’s role in nation building. This appreciation of the role and rights of women is further reinforced in the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women which our government ratified,” Estrada said.