GENDER AND SOCIETY
Women in the Rural Agriculture Sector
Agriculture is fundamental as it is a major contributor to nation's food production and
industries, as well as to the national economy as a whole. In the Philippines, women-farmers and
rural women in general play an important role in agriculture at all levels The Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognizes rural women as active economic actors being among
the landless workers, traders of agricultural and fishery products, and agents in micro
manufacturing enterprises. According to a 2004 FAO report, 27% of the total 10.4 million
Filipino workforce in the sectors of agriculture, hunting, and forestry were women.307 In 2015,
39% to 49% of the farming households in the Philippines hired women in land preparation,
planting, and harvesting activities.
The Asian Development Bank cites agriculture as the second largest sector for women's
employment in the Philippines. Specifically, 64% of workers in the rice and corn subsector and
60% of the workers in the fisheries sector were women. However, few women farmers have
access to high-quality production inputs, credit, information on farming techniques, and markets.
They also have to face the challenges of unpaid domestic work and care burden, limited access to
resources such as credit and financial service inadequate education, government services,
disadvantages in so protection, and discrimination in most aspects of work Philippine labor
context. Limited access to property and des making also hinder the progress of women in the
agricultural sector. Philippine government data in 2012 show the agricultural 2012 show that
only 29% of the 2.3 million agrarian reform beneficiaries who were granted certificates of land
ownership award (CLOA) were women. This disparity can be attributed to the prevailing socio-
cultural structures in rural communities. The recognition of male adults as heads of the
household in rural communities makes women less regarded as farmers or agricultural holders,
and consequently reducing their position in decision-making. Legal entitlements such as the
CLOA or land titles awarded to their names would have provided women with formal and legal
rights that could improve their access to financing and credit facilities among others.
Migrant Women
Many Filipinos, including the younger generations, aspire to go abroad as overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) in such territories as the Middle East, Europe, or the U.S. More than
10.4 million Filipinos or greater than 10% of the national population are based abroad. The
Philippines deployed some 2.2 million OFWs in 2012 alone, almost 50% of which were
women." Sending Filipino workers abroad was originally a stop-gap measure against the
unemployment crisis in the 1970s. However, what started as a trend became a main form of
employment for many Filipinos. This almost male dominated arena eventually became the
opposite as the demand for care workers increased due to the aging population of the developed
world. This phenomenon brought about further feminization of labor among Filipino workers.
Forty-three percent of OFWs deployed in 2012 worked in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, and Singapore. Most of them came from Luzon, specifically from CALABARZON
(Region IV-A) and Central Luzon (Region III). More than 60% of these OFWs were women and
majority were involved in domestic or care Work. Thus, more women OFWs were employed as
laborers and "unskilled" workers than their male counterparts who worked as and machine
operators and assemblers under trade-related This observation mirrors the findings of the United
Nations Women OFWs are predominantly service workers whereas male OFWs are mainly
production workers.
Women OFWs are often reported to experience Various challenges due to their low skill
and low education level. The women are susceptible to abuse and exploitation, illegal
recruitment contract substation, and debt bondage. Other women become victims of human
trafficking or sex trafficking because they were offered jobs which were actually a front for an
illegal recruitment scheme. Some women also experience violations of their sexual and
reproductive health due to various discriminatory laws in countries where they work.
The Women's EDGE Plan also identifies the de-skilling of professionals as an issue. Due
to the need for caregivers overseas, professionals who wish to go abroad may take on these jobs.
This practice creates a mismatch in skill levels. Going abroad for employment comes with
numerous social costs, mostly due to the woman leaving behind her own caregiving role at
home. Moreover, the family may also become overly dependent on the salary of the woman
OFW. This situation leads to a lack of long-term savings for the family of the woman OFWs.
Lastly, returning women OFW may not be emotionally ready for reintegration, given that most
women are made to resume their caregiving roles once they return.
The OFWs are a great resource to the country. Their hard work and sacrifice must not be
romanticized but rewarded with gen responsive government projects. One such project is the
Balik Pinay Balik-Hanapbuhay! Project (Return Filipina! Return to Livelihood It aims to assist
in the reintegration of women overseas Workers in terms of skills training in entrepreneurship
and other business topics once they return to the Philippines.
Women in the Informal Sector
Members of the informal sector are classified as individuals that main unemployed but
are able to create their own employment with or without access to training and credit. Members
of the informal sector's main goal is not to earn "extra income" but mostly to meet their daily
needs. Seventy percent of the jobs in the Philippines come from the informal sector 320 Workers
in this sector usually belong to impoverished families as they lack the necessary skills, training,
and education needed to secure formal work.
Women represent a majority of the informal sector particularly in developing countries.
They are attracted to informal work because it provides them the opportunity to easily engage in
paid work and earn income while helping their families. Women's socially determined
responsibilities in the household limit their options, forcing them to choose work that is only
accessible from their home. Desperate at the chance to get opportunities concerning work,
women often enter informal work that lacks access to social protection and productive resources,
exposes them to poor working conditions, and limits their representation in many decision-
making structures. Those engaged in the informal sector work on a much lower capital and
productivity than their counterparts in the formal sector. This observation means that women
involved in the informal sector continue to have less access to resources even if they are
considered employed. The work hours are not fixed, with most employees working beyond eight
hours. Thus, workers in this sector are more exposed to physical, ergonomic, and chemical
hazards, as well as illnesses and other health issues. Women informal workers also experience
gender inequality aggravated by their low levels of education and business literacy, hence
hindering their development.
