"Discrimination, unpaid care work: The unique challenges of women workers", 27 November 2024

The 21.9 million women comprising the labor force of the Philippines are at risk of facing the unique challenges that may hinder them from peak productivity, simply because of their gender.

On Friday, November 22, an alliance of women trade union leaders called Women Workers United (WWU) launched a 15-Point Women Workers Agenda, which provides a framework for government and employers to make workplaces inclusive and free from violence. ...

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Around one in five Filipino women have also experienced violence and harassment in the workplace, WWU said, citing the ILO and LRF.

A gender pay gap also exists in the Philippines. A 2022 study by the Philippine Institute for Development studies found that women earn 18.4% less than men in digital jobs. In 2019, the WWU cited Philippine Statistics Authority data saying there were 8 out of 10 occupations where men were paid higher than women.

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Women also face the unique challenge of unpaid care work. This refers to how the burden of domestic work like taking care of children, and cooking and cleaning the house still usually falls on the woman in the household – even if they already have day jobs.

According to WWU members, declining union membership among women is caused by two things: unpaid care work, and the hostile environment for unions.

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