The month of March, among other celebrations, has always been reserved to commemorate women power and gender equality. But, this is not to say that we recognize women only for a month because certainly, women and their impact to society should be celebrated on any day and at any time.
What has tertiary education done, so far, to address gender issues, as well as what has the country achieved towards the attainment of gender equality?
There are cold, hard facts supplied in an information kit specifically for college educators and administrators coming jointly from the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s Studies and the Ford Foundation, two institutions that have been at the forefront in the concerted effort to instill awareness of gender issues.
According to data posted by the Commission on Higher Education, female students significantly outnumber male students in both public and private schools throughout the Philippines. Female students comprise 65 percent of total enrolment in tertiary schools. In 15 out of 16 regions – including the National Capital Region, the Cordillera, and the Autonomous Region of Rural Mindanao – they comprise more than 60 percent of the student population.
Given the preponderance of female students, it is incumbent upon college administrators and planners to look more closely at the quality of education available to them. For instance, are they provided an education responsive to their specific needs and interests? Do they have equal access to the degree programs and professional courses offered by the college/university?
The latest CHEd data show that most female students are enrolled in the “service courses” such as nursing and education. Is this because they are “naturally” suited to these professions? It could be that they are not aware of the options and do not have sufficient guidance and advice in their choice of a career. Aptitude tests should be part of the college admissions process; in the case of female students, if the results show that they are suited to certain professions, including the hard sciences and engineering – nontraditional though these might be – they should be encouraged and guided to enter these professions.
Another area that bears looking into, according to the CHEd data, is whether the courses and curricular programs offered are “women friendly.” Do the faculty, particularly in the nontraditional professions referred to above, welcome female students into their courses, or do they look in disdain at them and sometimes, even subject them to ridicule?
An even more important consideration is whether the curricula and the subjects taught take into account women’s realities, experiences, and perspectives. For instance, when current socioeconomic issues such as migrant labor are discussed, it makes sense to consider the realities of women – the large number of women overseas workers; the particular treatment they are subject to as women in the cultures to which they are transported; their contribution to the economy as against the social cost of such employment to them, their families, and the larger community – and to take these into account when examining policies and long-term solutions to issues. Similarly, when discussing reproductive and other health policies, data regarding the impact of unregulated pregnancies on women’s health and the actual number of illegal abortions performed should be factored into the discussion.
In Asia, the Philippines has been at the forefront of the movement for gender equality in the last two decades.
Gender equality in the Philippines is rooted in history. Studies of indigenous societies show that in pre-Spanish times there was relative equality between women and men. Women could freely own property and had equal inheritance rights. There was no sexual discrimination or preferential treatment within the family and children were socialized with no gender discrimination of roles. Adult women participated in areas that in later years were seen as the pressure of men. Historians point out, for instance, that one of the pillars of socioeconomic life in the community at the time was the babaylan, a role usually assumed by women. Both priestess and healer, she was regarded as the sole authority in all matters relating to culture, religion, and medicine.
Under Spanish rule, women’s options were limited by patriarchy which held sway over all aspects of community and personal life. Nonetheless, they quietly pursued various lines of paid employment, some more aggressively agitated for educational reform, like the celebrated women of Malolos in the late 19th century.
The early years of the American occupation were marked by the campaign for women’s suffrage, a campaign which finally succeeded in 1937. Women also gained equal access to education, including tertiary education, and pursued careers in medicine and other professions to which they had no access previously.
At present, there is a very active women’s movement in the Philippines which plays a major role in raising public awareness of gender issues in governance and development. Through the efforts of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, the Philippines has participated actively in international conferences and is a signatory to the conventions and treaties on women in development and nation-building.
Even more important, they have pushed for the institutionalization of gender equality and the advancement of women through major initiatives of both the legislative and executive branches of government. – NWI
