Gov't pushes for advancement of women's rights - Palace
Malacañang cited on Friday the achievements of the Duterte administration in advancing women's rights in the country.
In a statement for the observance of the International Women’s Day, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said three laws have been passed under the current government that would benefit women.
He cited Republic Act (RA) No. 11210, which increases the maternity leave period for all female workers to 105 days, with an option to extend for an additional 30 days without pay, and granting additional 15 days for solo mothers.
RA No. 11165 or the Telecommuting Law, which creates an alternative work arrangement that most Filipino women may take advantage of was also signed.
There is also RA No. 11148, which ensures the health safety of mother and child in the early stages after giving birth.
Panelo also noted that Duterte signed Executive Order No 12 to attain and sustain “zero unmet need for modern family planning” through the strict implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act and recently approved the full and intensified Implementation Plan for the National Program on Family Planning.
More than 11 million women would be given access to effective modern contraceptives over the next four years to prevent four million unintended pregnancies and two million cases of abortion over the period, he said.
"Such executive action and legislative initiatives would hopefully improve the ranking of the Philippines in terms of women’s safety by Singapore-based research company ValueChampion, which considers women’s access to health care, lax laws regarding women’s safety, poor access to family planning resources and overall gender inequality in its list of safest countries in Asia Pacific for women," Panelo said.
Panelo, also the chief presidential legal counsel, said Duterte also appointed several women in government
"PRRD believes in the capability, integrity and competence of women as he has appointed several of them in high-level positions where they get the opportunity to contribute in significant decision-making for the country," he said.
At least two Cabinet officials are women - Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
Panelo said under the current government the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018 placed the Philippines as the most gender equal nation in Asia and ranked it as the 8th in the list of best countries in the world to be a woman. Celerina Monte/DMS
