World Bank Report: Philippines one of the world’s best for working women

The new World Bank Report ranks the Philippines in the 75th spot as one of the world’s best places for working women.

The new report “Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform” released in time for International Women’s Month in March, ranks the Philippines in the top tier among 187 economies surveyed.

The Philippines scored high overall at 81.25 in eight indicators, versus the global score of 74.71 indicating that the country’s working women generally fared better in the report that shows “a typical economy only gives women three-quarters the rights of men in the measured areas,” notes Kristalina Georgieva, the Interim World Bank Group President and World Bank Chief Executive Officer,

The Philippines was given a perfect score in job opportunities, pay scale, entrepreneurial options:

1. #100 in Starting a Job – based on Family Code Art. 73, Labor Code Art. 133, Anti-Sexual Harassment Act Secs. 3 and 4, Anti-Sexual Harassment Law Sec. 7, to assess laws affecting women’s decisions to enter the labor market
2. #100 in Getting Paid – based on Labor Code Art. 133, for laws affecting occupational segregation and the gender wage gap
3. #100 in Running a Business – based on Women in Development and Nation Building Act, Republic Act No. 7192, Art. 5, to analyze constraints to women starting and running businesses

The country also scored higher than the global average in terms of ownership options, mobility, and retirement pay:

1. #80 in Managing Assets – based on Family Code, Art. 75, 88, 91-93, 96, and 102, Civil Code, Arts. 978 – 980, 995 – 1002, to examine gender differences in property and inheritance law
2. #75 in Going Places –based on the Family Code Art. 69 and the Passport application process to measure whether women can independently decide where to go, travel and live
3. #75 in Getting a Pension – assesses laws affecting the size of a woman’s pension

However, the country needs more reforms to support Filipino working women who choose to get married and have children:

1. #60 in Getting Married – based on Family Code Art. 68, 152, 154, 156 and Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, to assess legal constraints related to marriage
2. #60 in Having Children – based on Social Security Act of 1997, Sec. 14-A, Labor Code, Art. 131 and 135, Paternity Leave Act of 1996, Sec. 2, to examine laws affecting women’s work after pregnancy

The World Bank Report in 2019 marks a decade since 2009 when the WB enhanced the study of gender equality and marked improvements in women’s economic opportunities and empowerment. Data from the report has been used to benchmark global progress toward gender equality and is useful for research and policy discussions on improving women’s economic opportunities.

The female WB chief adds, “Ultimately, the data shows us that laws can be tools that empower women rather than that hold us back from achieving our potential. By making the economic case, we encourage governments to guarantee the full and equal participation of women. After all, the world is better off when it draws upon the talents of all its people.”

WB Group President Kristalina Georgieva will lead speakers in the presentation and discussion on the World Bank’s new report Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform in a World Bank Live event which can be followed on Twitter using #WomenBizLaw and through http://live.worldbank.org/women-business-and-law-2019

WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2019
March 4th, 2019
18:00 – 19:15 GMT / 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM (EST)
Reykjavik, Iceland

Comment your questions below to encourage the Filipina working women!

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