The proposed Women Participation and Representation in Political Parties Act shouldn't be viewed as discriminatory towards men, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman said Wednesday during a virtual hearing of the Committee on Women and Gender Equality wherein the subject measure, House Bill (HB) No.7179, was taken up.
The measure seeks to ensure, among other things, that at least 30 percent of the leadership and internal policy-making structures of a political party are composed of women. A political party's nominees for elective positions in government must also be composed of at least 30 percent women candidates.
"I want to reassure our male colleagues that this is not a form of discrimination. This is just simply a way of correcting the longstanding inequality that has already been institutionalized and normalized in Philippine society," said Roman, who is a transgender woman.
The measure, penned by panel chair Bukidnon Rep. Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba, makes no distinction between biological or transgender women as far as membership in a political party is concerned. This, as long as she has "complied with the requirements of party membership."
"Sometimes, women are considered benchwarmers for elective posts. Also we can't ignore the fact that it seems women are not encouraged, we don't give women enough means to be able to reconcile their roles as homemakers and being public servants," Roman said.
The Bataan solon further noted that in a Filipino political family, the male scion is "usually the priority." She added that HB No.7179 is "timely and long overdue."
The original author of the measure, former Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, attended the hearing as a resource person. She first filed her version of the bill way back in the 11th Congress.
Alba, in her explanatory note, wrote: "In the 2019 National and Local elections, only 20.16 percent (8,782) of candidates were female. In recent years, the trend was that women occupy only less than one-third of third level positions in the government; more than one-third in government owned and controlled corporations; less than 20 percent in local government units; and more than one-third in the Judiciary."
"There is clearly a need to adopt measures to attain gender equality between women and men in terms of political participation and representation," she said.
Compliance to the proposed 30 percent participation and representation provisions shall grant the political party access to the Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund which HB No.7179 also aims to establish.
Such fund will be used by the political parties to further their women and gender development agenda, and to augment funds for the lawful election propaganda of their women candidates.
Alba approved a motion to incorporate the inputs of the resource persons to her bill. The resulting amended bill will be tackled in future hearing.