The Philippine Commission on Women, marking the 76th year since government recognized the Filipina’s right to vote, said there should be more women in politics.
In a statement, the PCW said although the Philippines has had two women presidents and numerous women legislators, “we cannot say that women now have a firmer foothold in politics because men, to a large extent, are still in control.”
Citing Commission on Elections data, the commission said women got only 18.4 percent of elective posts in the May 2010 elections.
“We need to challenge the status quo. It is not enough to have a good number of male politicians who are sympathetic to women’s concerns. Filipino women should recognize that they belong to a sector with special interests. On one hand, having more women in politics could generate greater support to work on women’s issues. But more importantly, we should elect women leaders who truly understand women’s issues and experiences,” the commission said.
