Meeting gender challenges more effectively

Year after year, the statistics repeat the same sad situation that women and girl children are the hardest hit by poverty and the present global crisis. Can 2011 be a better year for them?

Even in some advanced economies, however, the situation of women and children are not any different from those in developing economies. Can the global and national gender situation get better this new year?

Although the Philippines is ranked ninth among 134 countries in terms of gender equality, Filipino women still have to be allowed to participate more actively in the economy. According to the 2010 Gender Gap Report, there are 51 women (compared to 80 males ) who are actively participating in the labor force. Women’s estimated earning was also noted to be only 58% of their male counterpart’s income. Women are also working more hours and doing more difficult, low-paying jobs compared to men.

Due to the continuing global crisis, more women, girls and the elderly included, are pushed to work more under more challenging conditions. Girls are often stopped from schooling as boys are given preference due to the perception that boys will later land better and higher paying jobs than girls. Mothers have to bear multiple burdens and responsibilities (straddling to balance home, work and other demands) more than their husbands.

The situation of women elsewhere is complicated by problems of female infanticide, mutilation, child marriages and HIV-AIDS, rape, domestic violence, among others.

The situation of women in some rich countries is not any better, however.

Taking Japan as an example, while Japan’s economy is one of the most prosperous in the world, it ranked 94th out of 134 countries in terms of gender equality for 2010. Japan’s female-to-male ratio for labor force participation (73%) showed less women actively working compared to men. Surprisingly, in terms of wage equality for similar work, Japan had a lower female-to male ratio (61%) compared to the Philippines (76%).

There are more Filipino women than Japanese women among the legislators, senior officials and managers, and among professional and technical workers. Other surprising data showed that Filipino women are given longer period for maternity leave and 100% of their wages paid as maternity leave benefits compared to the Japanese women.

Gender challenges have impacted on the birth rate, marriage situation and overall decline in population in certain developed nations. On the other hand, gender challenges, coupled with continuing and deepening poverty, have added heavier burden on women and girls in developing and the poorer nations, limiting their private time, space, and rights.

May 2011 find gender challenges more effectively confronted and solved within nations and across the world, with the rights of all respected and protected. The gender challenges have to be prioritized so that the conditions within and across societies throughout the world also get better.

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