052907: Women workers bring in bulk of money, but are most abused

By Estrella Torres

Reporter

FILIPINO domestics and female call center agents provide the biggest source of revenues for the Philippine government here and abroad, but they are the most vulnerable to employment abuses, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). ILO country representative to the Philippines Linda Wirth said the Philippines, a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), should include in all its bilateral and multilateral agreements with foreign governments the protection of the rights and welfare of the Filipino domestic women, who are prone to physical and sexual abuse. “Women in higher paying jobs like those in the business process outsourcing (BPO) and those who are in lower paying jobs like domestic helpers here and abroad are similarly unprotected in terms of their rights in employment,” said Wirth in a press briefing Monday at the UN launch of a program for Cedaw’s implementation at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. She said although the role of women in the Philippines has been making progress compared with other women in Asia, the nature of the work for most of the Filipino women makes them prone to abuses. Wirth noted that Cedaw prohibits women from working at night but the Philippine government still allows US and other foreign firms to hire women for night duty. Emilene Vergoza, executive director of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, meanwhile said that the Philippine Labor Code needed amending to live up to the work rules of the BPOs now driving the Philippine economy. “The Philippine Labor Code was adopted in 1950 but Cedaw came into force in 1981, so we need to amend the Labor Code,” said Vergoza. She noted that over the last five years, domestics mostly women deployed in Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Israel comprise 60 percent of the total Filipino workers, but their total share of overall remittances of the Filipino workers is very low compared to their male counterparts who are mostly hired in high- paying professions. Dr. Jean D’ Cunha, regional program director for Southeast Asia of the UN Development Fund for Women, said the agency has started coordinating with major host countries of domestic help in Asia, as well as some Arab countries to be able to integrate Cedaw’s provisions in the working contract for migrant workers. She asked the newly elected 12 senators to adopt laws for the effective implementation of Cedaw in the Philippines. “Cedaw is both a bill of rights and a platform of action. The Philippines as a state party to Cedaw must have a national convention to implement its provisions,” said D’ Cunha.

 

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