Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda on Friday, March 8 called on the government to properly implement laws that advance women’s rights especially in education and the workplace.

Legarda made the call in celebration of International Women's Day, saying it is high-time for the state “to provide more opportunities for women in education, the workplace, entrepreneurship, rural development, governance, and leadership roles.”

“Despite progress, women continue to encounter persistent challenges due to gender stereotypes that hinder their access to equal opportunities in employment and financial stability,” Legarda said during her keynote speech at the International Women’s Day Celebration hosted by UN Women and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in Taguig City.

Citing a report from the United Nations, Legarda noted that closing gender disparity in employment has the potential to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by 20 percent.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) also reported that addressing the gaps in care services and policies could create almost 300 million jobs by 2035.

But women have been handed the responsibility of doing household tasks such as cooking, caregiving, cleaning, and laundry, and they are usually unpaid and often go unrecognized.

"It is high time for us to acknowledge and appreciate the significant burden of unpaid care and domestic work predominantly shouldered by women in our society," asserted the lawmaker.

Among the pro-women laws the government should strictly enforce, she said, include the Magna Carta of Women law, the Anti-Traffickign in Persons Act, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Law, the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act, and the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law. 

Legarda, a four-term senator also recently filed Senate Bill No. 1648 or the proposed Unpaid Care Workers Welfare law that sought to challenge traditional family structures and gender norms, and make Filipinos realize their fair share of household and caregiving duties.

“Let us continue to work together to break barriers and biases, challenge norms, and create a society where every person, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and realize their full potential,” the lawmaker said.

“By investing in equality, we are investing in a future of gender-inclusive prosperity for all,” she emphasized.