Leaders in Politics” webinar organized by the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation
for Freedom.
In a recent online forum of young female leaders, economist and politician Stella Quimbo spoke of the underrepresentation of female public figures in law-making positions in the Philippine government.
“In the House of Representatives, there are only 85 congresswomen—that’s 28.3 percent out of 300 representatives. In the Upper House, of the 24 senators, only 7 are women,” Quimbo said during the “Young Female Leaders in Politics” webinar organized by the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom. “Sadly, both houses of Congress still fall short of having that 30-percent ‘critical mass,’ much less [an] equal, 50-50 representation.”
In 2017, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) cited studies that a legislator’s gender has a distinct impact on their policy priorities. The NDI stated that it is critical that women are present in politics to represent the concerns of women and other marginalized voters, as well as to help improve the responsiveness of policy-making and governance.
Notwithstanding the Philippines’s advances in terms of closing the gender gap (the country ranked among the top 10 most gender-equal countries in the world for more than a decade, according to the World Economic Forum), there exists a growing concern for gender imbalance in leadership. Patriarchal norms and values prevail, including social biases, which hinder women from holding office.
“In terms of education, women actually outperform men. There are more women among those who finish higher levels of education and fewer women among those with lower levels of educational attainment. Furthermore, fewer girls than boys drop out of school,” Quimbo said. “Women clearly have the qualifications, yet they lack the same leadership opportunities.”
The politician added that gender stereotypes discourage voters from supporting women candidates. That women are looked down upon as weak, emotional and indecisive “affects the preference of political parties or groups to finance male candidates who are perceived to have higher probabilities of winning the election,” according to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).
Meanwhile, general society continues to designate domestic responsibilities to females, Quimbo said.
In the paper, titled “Barriers and Solutions to Increasing Women’s Political Power,” Shauna Shames of the Rutgers University-Camden Studies posited that women also have to deal with a “motherhood penalty.” This relates not only to the time, effort, and medical care during pregnancy and childbirth, but to the persistent tendency of women to carry a larger share of childcare through the years. In fact, a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that mothers were more likely to experience significant career interruptions to attend to their families’ needs.
Thus, when women do decide to run for office, “they [have to] weigh their educational background, previous political experience, encouragement from others, and familial responsibilities especially child bearing and rearing—factors that men are less likely to consider as much when deciding to run,” Quimbo said.
She added that even when women are appointed to leadership roles, the battle continues. Women leaders are almost always designated to agencies or departments that address “feminine” roles in society.
“Of the 12 women cabinet members of the last five administrations, half were appointed as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development. Generally, this may reflect a tendency to limit women leaders to a certain stereotype—more ‘nurturing’ and less ‘strong.’” Quimbo said.
Political accountability to women, she added, begins with increasing the number of women in decision-making positions, but “it cannot stop there.”
“For each woman and girl, I believe we all have a responsibility to uplift each other and embody the ideals of gender equality,” Quimbo said. “I’m sure we all look forward to the eventual day when, in the selection and determination of our leaders, gender won’t even be a factor anymore. With collective action among women, and including men as our allies, I believe we can turn this ideal into a reality.”
Hon. Stella Quimbo was one of the speakers at the recent “Young Female Leaders in Politics” webinar organized by the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom.
Read full article on BusinessMirror
