Press Release
May 1, 2011

ANGARA BATS FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN LABOR INDUSTRY

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today said that there should be equal opportunities in the labor force, after a recent study reported that women are more at risk of losing their jobs amid the ensuing economic crisis.

"The government and private sector institutions should develop and strictly implement gender-fair policies that protect women workers as well as promote opportunities for women's economic empowerment," he said.

An analysis by the International Labor Organization and the World Bank revealed that female workers are more vulnerable to job loss, being seen as only the secondary or supplementary providers of income for households in Asia-Pacific countries.

Furthermore, around 45 percent of working age women in Asia do not have regular employment, compared to only 19 percent of men.

"Even in the Philippines, where the number female employees may be considered high, there is still a significant difference between men and women's representation in the labor force," said Angara.

Angara, a long-time champion for women's rights, said that in addition to the area of labor and employment, women "should not be discriminated in the civil, cultural and political spheres, and should be provided with laws and practices that would expand their capacities and opportunities for development."

Angara had sponsored the Magna Carta for Women, which was passed into law in 2009. Also known as Republic Act No. 9710, it serves as a "bill of rights", enumerating all the forms of discrimination against women and recommending special measures to achieve gender equality in the Philippines.

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