FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article II Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution states that, “The State 
recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the 
fundamental equality before the law of women and men.” Further, Article Xlll 
Section 14 emphasizes that, “The State shall protect working women by 
providing safe and healthful working conditions, taking into account their 
maternal functions, and such facilities and opportunities that will enhance their 
welfare and enable them to realize their full potential in the service of the nation.” 
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women (CEDAW) is often described as an “international bill of rights for women”. 
It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. 
The 
Philippines became a signatory to the Convention on July 15, 1980 and ratified 
the same on August 5, 1981. By this virtue, the Government of the Republic of 
the Philippines is mandated to put its provisions into practice and is responsible 
to “undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all 
forms, including: 
1. 
to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in 
their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt 
appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; 
to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the 
effective protection of women against discrimination; and, 
to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women 
by persons, organization or enterprises.” 
2. 
3. 
This proposed measure seeks to embody the “Magna Carta of Women”. 
It strengthens the promotion of the rights and empowerment of women and of 
marginalized sectors. 
It also provides for institutional mechanisms for the 
implementation of the Magna Carta including the adoption of gender 
mainstreaming, establishment of Gender and Development (GAD) Ombud, and 
establishment of incentives and awards system for outstanding performance of 
deserving entities. 
requested. 
In view of the above, immediate consideration of this measure is earnestly 
ClTO ESTRAD @ 
C-ZIIJ) Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN 
Be if enacfed by the Senafe and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION I. 
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “The Magna Carta of 
Women”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the role of women in 
nation building and shall ensure the substantive equality of women and men. It shall 
promote the empowerment of women and pursue equal opportunities for men and 
women as well as ensure their equal access to resources and to development results 
and outcome. 
It condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues by all 
appropriate means and without delay the policy of eliminating discrimination against 
women in keeping with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women (CEDAW) and other international instruments. The State shall accord 
to women the rights, protection, and opportunities available to every member of the 
society. 
The State affirms women’s rights as human rights and shall Intensify its efforts to 
recognize, respect, protect, fulfill and promote all human rights and fundamental 
freedoms of women especially in the marginalized sectors of society to guarantee their 
economic, social and cultural well-being without distinction or discrimination on account 
of class, age, sex, gender, language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, education 
and status. 
The State shall provide the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the 
realization of women’s rights as well as adopt and undertake steps to include temporary 
special measures which encompass a wide variety of legislative, executive, 
administrative and other regulatory instruments, policies and practices aimed at 
accelerating the equal participation of women in the political, economic, social, cultural, 
civil or any other field. 
The State, in ensuring the full integration of women’s concerns in the mainstream 
of development, shall provide ample opportunities to enhance and develop their skills, 
acquire productive employment and contribute to their communities to the fullest of their 
capabilities. 
1 


In pursuance of this policy, the State recognizes the right of women in all sectors 
to participate in policy formulation, planning, organization, implementation, management 
monitoring, and evaluation of all programs and projects. 
It shall support policies, 
researches, technology and training programs, and other support services such as 
financing, production and marketing to encourage active participation of women in 
national development. 
CHAPTER II 
DEFINITION OF TERMS 
SEC. 3. Definifions. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
(a) 
Women’s empowerment refers to the provision, availability and accessibility of 
opportunities which enable women to actively participate and contribute to the 
political, economic, social and cultural development of the nation as well as 
those which shall provide them equal access to ownership, management and 
control of production, and of material and informational resources and benefits 
in the family, community, and society; 
(b) Discrimination Against Women refers to any gender-based distinction, 
exclusion or restriction which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying 
the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital 
status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and 
fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any 
other field; 
(c) 
Marginalization is a condition where a whole category of people is excluded 
from useful participation in political, economic, social and cultural life; 
(d) The marginalized refers to the basic, disadvantaged, or vulnerable persons or 
groups who are mostly living in poverty and have little or no access to land and 
resources, basic social and economic services such as health care, education, 
water and sanitation, employment and livelihood opportunities, housing, social 
security, physical infrastructure and justice system. 
These include women in the following: 
1. Small Farmers and Rum/ Workers - refer to those who are engaged 
directly or indirectly in small farms and forest areas, workers in 
commercial farms and plantations, whether paid or unpaid, regular or 
season-bound. These shall include but not limited to (a) small farmers 
who own or are still amortizing for lands that Is not more than three (3) 
hectares, tenants, leaseholders, and stewards; and (b) rural workers who 
are either wage earners, self-employed, unpaid family workers directly 
and personally engaged in agriculture, small scale mining handicrafts and 
other related on-farm / off-farm activities; 
2. Fisherfolks - refer to those directly or indirectly engaged in taking, 
culturing or processing fishery or aquatic resources. These include, but 
not limited to, women engaged in fishing in municipal waters and coastal 
areas, women workers in commercial fishing and aquaculture, vendors 
and processors of fish and coastal products, and subsistence producers 
such as shell-gatherers, managers and producers of mangrove resources 
and other related producers; 
3. Urban Poor - refer to those residing in urban and urbanizable slum or 
blighted areas, with or without the benefit of security of tenure, where the 
income of the head of the family cannot afford in a sustained manner to 
provide for the family the minimum basic needs of food, health, education, 
housing and other essential amenities in life; 
2 


4. Workers in the Formal Economy - refer to those who are employed by 
any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in 
relation to an employee, and shall include the Government and all its 
branches, subdivision and instrumentalities, all government-owned or 
controlled corporations and institutions, or as well as non-profit private 
institutions, or organizations; 
5. Workers in fhe lnfofmal Economy - shall refer to the self-employed, 
occasionally or personally hired, subcontracted and unpaid family workers 
in household unincorporated enterprises, including homeworkers, micro- 
entrepreneurs and producers, and operators of sari-sari stores and all 
other categories who suffer from violation of workers’ rights; 
6. Migrant Workers - shall refer to Filipinos who are to be engaged, are 
engaged or have been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of 
which 
they 
are 
not legal residents whether documented or 
undocumented; 
7. lndigenous Peoples - refer to those who are members of any indigenous 
peoples I indigenous cultural communities of the Philippines as defined 
under Section 3(h), Chapter II of Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known 
as “The Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997”; 
8. Mor0 - refer to indigenous peoples that historically inhabited Mindanao, 
Palawan and Sulu, and who are of the lsamlic faith; 
9. Children - shall refer to children below eighteen (18) years of age or 
those 18 and over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or 
protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or 
discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition; 
10. Senior Citizens - shall refer to those sixty (60) years of age and above; 
11, Persons with Disabilities - shall refer to those who are suffering from 
restriction or different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory 
impairment to perform an activity in a manner or within the range 
considered normal for a human being; 
12. Solo Parents - shall refer to those who fall under the category of a solo 
parent defined under Republic Act No. 8972, otherwise known as the 
“Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000. 
(e) Gender refers to the socially differentiated roles, characteristics and 
expectations attributed by culture and society to people based on their sex. It is 
created, produced, reproduced and maintained by social institutions. 
Gender roles and attributes are not natural nor biologically given; 
Gender Equality indicates that men and women enjoy the same status and 
have equal conditions for realizing their full human potentials to contribute to 
and benefit from the results of development; 
(9) 
Gender €quify refers to the policies, instruments, programs, services and 
actions that address the disadvantaged position of women in society by 
providing preferential treatment and affirmative action. Such temporary special 
measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women 
shall not be considered discriminatory but shall in no way entail as a 
consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate standards, these 
measures shall be discounted when the objectives of equality of opportunity 
and treatment have been achieved; 
(f) 
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(h) Gender and Developmen! [GAD) refers to the development perspective and 
process that are participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free 
from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and 
actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a 
fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to 
transform society’s social, economic, and political structures and questions the 
validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; contends that 
women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of 
development assistance, and stresses the need of women to organize 
themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights; 
Gender Mainsfreaming is the strategy for making women’s as well as men’s 
concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, 
monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic 
and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is 
not perpetuated. It is the process of assessing the implications for women and 
men of any planned action, including legislation, policies, or programs, in all 
areas and at all levels; 
Violence Against Women refers to any act of gender-based violence that results 
in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to 
women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of 
liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. It shall be understood to 
encompass, but not be limited to, the following: 
(i) 
(j) 
1. physical, sexual, psychological and economic vlolence occurring in the 
family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the 
household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, and other traditional 
practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to 
exploitation; 
2. physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general 
community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and 
intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking 
in women and prostitution; 
3. physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by 
the State, wherever it occurs. As defined in Republic Act 9262: 
i. 
ii. 
Physical violence shall mean bodily or physical harm; 
Sexual violence shall mean any act that is sexual in nature, 
including but not limited to: rape, sexual harassment, acts of 
lasciviousness, treating the woman or her child as a sex 
object, making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks, 
physically attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body, 
forcing the victim to watch obscene publications and 
indecent shows, forcing the victim to do indecent acts andlor 
make films thereof, forcing the wife and mistress / lover to 
live in the conjugal home or to sleep together in the same 
room with the abuser, causing or attempting to cause the 
victim to engage in sexual activity by force, physical or other 
harm, coercion or threats thereof, prostituting the women or 
her child; 
Psycho/ogical violence shall mean acts or omissions causing 
mental or emotional suffering of the victim, such as but not 
limited to: intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage to 
property, public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal 
abuse, marital infidelity, causing or allowing the victim to 
witness the physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of a 
family member, causing or allowing the victim to witness 
iii, 
4 


pornography in any form, causing or allowing the victim to 
witness abusing injury to pets, unlawful or unwanted 
deprivation of the right to custody and/or visitation of 
common children; 
iv. 
Economic violence shall mean acts that make a woman 
financially dependent, including: withdrawal of financial 
support, preventing the victim from engaging in any 
legitimate profession, occupation, business or activity, 
deprivation of financial resources and the right to conjugal, 
community or property owned in common, destroying 
household property or controlling the victim's own money or 
properties. 
CHAPTER 111 
RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT 
SEC. 4. Human Rights of Women. - All rights recognized under international 
instruments duly signed and ratified by the Philippines, including rights under the 
Constitution and other existing laws shall be rights of women under this Act to be 
enjoyed without discrimination. 
SEC. 5. Protection from Violence. - The State shall ensure that all women 
shall be protected from all forms of violence as provided for in existing laws. Agencies of 
government shall give priority to the defense and protection to women against gender- 
based offenses and help women attain justice and healing. 
pursued. 
Towards this end, measures to prosecute and reform offenders shall likewise be 
(a) 
Whin the next five (5) years, there shall be an incremental increase 
in the recruitment and training of women in the police force, forensics 
and medico-legal, and legal services and such other services availed 
by women who are victims of gender-related offenses until fifty 
percent (50%) of personnel shall be women. 
Women shall have the right to protection and security in situations of 
armed and conflict and militarization. Towards this end, they shall be 
protected from all forms of gender-based violence, particularly rape 
and other forms of sexual abuse, and all forms of violence in 
situations of armed conflict, The State shall observe international 
standards, particularly International Humanitarian Laws, for the 
protection of civilian population in circumstances of emergency and 
armed conflict. It shall not force women, especially indigenous 
peoples, to abandon their lands, territories and means of 
subsistence, or relocate them in special centers for military purposes 
under any discriminatory condition. 
All government personnel involved in the protection and defense of 
women against gender-based violence shall undergo a mandatory 
training of human rights and gender equality pursuant to this Act. 
SEC. 6. 
Women Affected by Disasters, Calamities, and other Crisis 
Situations. - Women have the right to protection and security in times of disasters, 
calamities and other crisis situations especially in all phases of relief, recovery, 
rehabilitation and construction efforts. 
The State shall provide for immediate 
humanitarian assistance, allocation of resources and early resettlement if necessary. It 
shall also address the particular needs of women from a gender perspective to ensure 


their full protection from sexual exploitation and other sexual and gender-based violence 
committed against them. Responses to disaster situations shall include the provision of 
services such as psychosocial support, education, psychological and reproductive 
health. 
SEC. 7. 
Participation and Representation. - The State shall undertake 
temporary special measures to accelerate the participation and representation of women 
in all spheres of society particularly in the decision-making and policy-making processes 
in government and private entities to fully realize their role as agents and beneficiaries of 
development. 
The State shall institute affirmative action mechanisms so that women can 
participate meaningfully in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies, 
plans and programs for national, regional and local development: 
Empowerment in Civil Service. Within the next five (5) years, the 
number of women in third level positions in government shall be 
increased to achieve a fifty-fifty (50%-50%) gender balance; 
Development Councils and Planning Bodies. 
To ensure the 
participation of women in all levels of development planning and 
program implementation, at least forty percent (40%) of membership 
of all development councils from the regional, provincial, city, 
municipal and barangay levels shall be composed of women; 
(c) 
Other Policy and Decision-Making Bodies. Women's groups shall 
also be represented in all international, national and local special and 
decision-making bodies; 
(4 
lnternational Bodies. The State shall take all appropriate measures 
to ensure that women, on equal terms with men and without any 
discrimination, the opportunity to represent their Government at the 
international level and to participate in the work of international 
organizations; 
lntegrafion of Women in Political Parties. The State shall provide 
incentives to political parties with a women's agenda and with women 
comprising at least forty percent (40%) of their leadership and 
membership. It shall likewise encourage the integration of women in 
their internal policy-making structures, appointive and electoral 
nominating processes. 
(a) 
(b) 
(e) 
SEC. 8. Equal Treatment Before the Law. - The State shall take steps to 
review and when necessary, amend and/or repeal existing laws that are discriminatory 
to women, within three (3) years from effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. 9. Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education, 
The State shall remove gender stereotypes and images in 
educational materials and curricula. 
Gender-sensitive language 
shall be used at all times. 
Capability-building on gender and 
development (GAD), peace and human rights, education for 
teachers and all those involved in the education sector shall be 
pursued toward this end. Partnerships between and among players 
of the education sector, including the private sector and churches / 
faith groups shall be encouraged. 
Scholarships and Training. - 
(a) 
6 


Enrollment of women and men in non-traditional skills training in 
vocational and tertiary levels shall be encouraged. 
Expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting the enrollment and other 
related discrimination of women students and faculty due to 
pregnancy outside of marriage, shall be outlawed. 
SEC. I O .  
Women in Sports. - The State shall develop, establish and 
strengthen programs for the participation of women and girl-children in competitive and 
non-competitive sports as a means to achieve excellence, promote physical and social 
well-being, eliminate gender-role stereotyping, and provide equal access to the full 
benefits of development for all persons regardless of sex, gender identity and other 
similar factors. 
For this purpose, the State shall direct the Department of Education, the 
Department of Health, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Games and Amusement 
Board, the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and the 
Philippine information Agency, in collaboration with national and regional sports 
associations, media organizations and civil society organizations involved in sports and 
sports promotion, to require the creation and use of guidelines that will establish and 
integrate affirmative action as a strategy and gender equality as a framework in planning 
and implementing their policies, budgets, programs and activities relating to the 
participation of women and girls in sports. 
The State will also provide material and non-material incentives to local 
government units, media organizations and the private sector for promoting, training and 
preparing women and girls for participation in competitive and non-competitive sports, 
specially in local and international events, including, but not limited to, the Palarong 
Pambansa, the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games, and the Olympics. 
The State shall also ensure th6 safety and well-being of all women and girls 
participating in sports, especially, but not limited to, trainees, reserve members, 
members, coaches and mentors of national sports teams, whether in studying, training 
or performance phases, by providing them comprehensive health and medical insurance 
coverage, as well as integrated medical, nutritional and healthcare services. 
SEC. 11. Non-discriminatory and Non-derogatory Portrayal of Women in 
Media and Film. -The State shall formulate policies and programs for the advancement 
of women in collaboration with media-related organizations from the private sector. It 
shall likewise endeavor to raise the consciousness of the general public in recognizing 
the dignity of a woman, and the role and contribution of women in the family, community 
and the society through the strategic use of mass media. 
For this purpose, the State shall provide material and non-material incentives to 
encourage ownership, management, and/or promotion of media venues and programs 
by registered women’s non-profit organizations and cooperatives involved in media and 
communication work; as weil as ensure allocation of space / airtime and resources, 
strengthen programming, production and image-making that appropriately present 
women’s needs, issues and concerns in all forms of media, communication, information 
dissemination and advertising. 
The State, through the Department of Trade and Industry; the National 
Telecommunications Commission; the Movie, Television and Review Classification 
Board; the Optical Media Board; the Commission on Higher Education; in cooperation 
with ai[ schools of journalism, information and communication, as well as the national 
media federations and associations, shall require ail media organizations and 
corporations to: integrate into their human resource development components regular 
training on gender equality and gender-based discrimination; create and use gender 
equality guidelines in all aspects of management, training, production, information 
dissemination, communication and programming; and convene a gender equality 
7 


committee that will promote gender mainstreaming as a framework and affirmative 
action as a strategy, monitor and evaluate the implementation of gender equality 
guidelines. 
SEC. 12. Access to Information and Services Relating to Women’s Health. 
- 
(A) Comprehensive Health Services - The State shall at all times provide for 
comprehensive, culture-sensitive and gender-responsive bealib programs 
and services covering all stages of a woman’s reproductive years I life cycle; 
Provided, That in the provision for comprehensive health services, due 
respect shall be accorded to women’s religious convictions, the rights of 
spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and 
the demands of responsible parenthood and the right of women to protection 
from hazardous drugs, devices, interventions and substances, access to the 
following shall be ensured: 
1. Maternal, child health and nutrition; 
2. Family planning; 
3. Safe motherhood; 
4. Adolescent and youth health services; 
5. Prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, 
HIV/AIDS and other reproductive tract infections; 
6. Prevention and management of reproductive tract cancers like breast 
and cervical cancers and other gynecological conditions; 
7. Prevention and management of abortion and its complications; 
8. Violence against women and children - women and children victims 
and survivors shall be provided with comprehensive health services 
that include psychosocial therapeutic, medical and legal interventions 
and assistance towards healing, recovery and empowerment; 
9. Prevention and management of infertility and sexual dysfunction; 
I O .  Care of the elderly or women beyond their reproductive years. 
In addition, healthy lifestyle activities are encouraged and promoted 
through programs and ‘projects as a strategy in the prevention of 
diseases. 
(B) Comprehensive Health Information and Education - The State shall provide 
women in all sectors with timely, complete and accurate information and 
education on all the above-stated aspects of women’s health, in government 
education and training programs. 
Further, education programs on reproductive health shall always include the 
following: 
1, Due regard for fhe natural and primary right and duty of parents in the 
rearing of the youth the development of moral character and the right 
of children to be brought up in an atmosphere of morality and 
rectitude for the enrichment and strengthening of character; 
2. The formation of a person’s sexuality that affirms human dignify; 
3. Modern, safe and effective family planning method including fertility 
awareness. 
SEC. 13. 
Equal Rights in All Matters Relating to Marriage and Family 
Relatlons. - The State shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination 
against women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations and shall ensure: 
8 


(3) 
The same rights to enter into and leave partnerships or relationships 
without prejudice to personal or religious beliefs; 
The same right to choose freely a spouse and to enter into marriage 
only with their free and full consent. The betrothal and the marriage 
of a child shall have no legal effect; 
The joint decision on the number and spacing of their children and to 
have access to the information, education and means to enable them 
to exercise these rights; 
The same personal rights between partners including the right to 
choose freely a profession and an occupation; 
The same rights fdr both partners in respect of the ownership, 
acquisition, management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition 
of property; 
The same rights to properties and resources, whether titled or not, 
and inheritance, whether formal or customary. 
Customary laws shall be respected; Provided, however, That they do 
not contradict the above-enumerated rights. 
CHAPTER IV 
RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT OF MARGINALIZED SECTORS 
Women are guaranteed all the rights - civil, political, sociai and economic 
recognized, promoted and protected under existing laws, including but not limited to the 
Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, Urban Development and Housing Act, Comprehensive 
Agrarian Reform Law, Fisheries Code, Labor Code, Migrant Workers Act, Solo Parents 
Welfare Act, and Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act. 
SEC. 14. Food Security and Productive Resources. - The State recognizes 
the contribution of women to food production and shall therefore ensure sustainability 
and sufficiency of its activities in the household and community levels. To address this, 
the State shall ensure: 
Right to Food - The State shall guarantee the availability of food in 
quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of 
individuals and the physical and economic accessibility for everyone 
to adequate food that is culturally acceptable and free from unsafe 
substances and culturally accepted; 
(A) 
Right to Resources for Food Production - The State shall promote 
the right to adequate food by proactively engaging in activities 
intended to strengthen access to and utilization of resources and 
means to ensure women’s livelihood, including food security: 
1. Equal status shall be given to men and women, whether married or 
not, in the titling of the land and issuance of stewardship contracts 
and patents; 
2. Equal treatment shall be given to men and women beneficiaries of the 
agrarian reform program, wherein vested right of a woman agrarian 
reform beneficiary is defined by a woman’s relationship to the tillage, 
i.e. her direct and indirect contribution to the development of the land; 
9 


3. Customary rights of women to the land, including access to and 
control of the fruits and benefits, shall be recognized in circumstances 
where private ownership is not possible such as ancestral domain 
claims; 
4. Information and assistance on claiming rights to the land shall be 
made available to women at all times; 
5. Equal rights to women to the enjoyment, use and management of land 
and water and other natural resources within their communities or 
ancestral domains; 
6. Equal access to the use and management of fisheries and aquatic 
resources, and all the rights and benefits accruing to stakeholders in 
the fishing industry; 
7. Equal status shall be given to men and women in the issuance of 
stewardship or lease agreements and other fishery rights that may be 
granted for the use and management of coastal and aquatic 
resources. In the same manner, women's organizations shall be 
given equal treatment as with other marginalized fishers organizations 
in the issuance of stewardship or lease agreements or other fishery 
rights for the use and management of such coastal and aquatic 
resources which may include providing support to women-engaged 
coastal resources; 
8. There shall be no discrimination against women in the deputization of 
fish wardens; 
9. Women-friendly agriculture technology shall be designed based on 
accessibility and viability in consultation with women's organizations; 
10. Access to small farmers-based and controlled seeds production and 
11. Indigenous practices of women in seed storage and cultivation shall 
12. Provide opportunities for empowering women fishers to be involved in 
the control and management not only of the catch and production of 
aquamarine resources but also to engage in entrepreneurial activities 
which will add value to production and marketing ventures; 
13. Provide economic opportunities for the indigenous women, particularly 
distribution shall be ensured; 
be recognized; 
access to market for their produce. 
SEC. 15. Right to Housing. - The State shall develop housing programs for 
women that are localized, simple, accessible, secure, with viable employment 
opportunities and affordable amortization. In this regard, the State shall consult women 
and involve them in community planning and development especially in matters 
pertaining to land use, zoning and relocation. 
SEC. 16. Right to Employment, Livelihood, Credit, Capital and Technology. 
(a) Equal access to formal sources of credit and capital at concessional rates; 
(b) Equal share to the produce of the farms and aquatic resources; 
-The State shall ensure that women shall be provided with the following: 
10 


(c) Support services and gears to protect them from occupational and health 
(d) Support services that wiil enable women to balance family obligations and 
work responsibilities; 
(e) Membership in unions regardless of status of employment and place of 
employment; 
(f) in recognition of the temporary nature of overseas work, the State shall exert 
ail efforts to address the causes of outmigration by developing local 
employment and other economic opportunities for women and by introducing 
measures to curb violence and forced and involuntary displacement of local 
women. The State shall ensure the protection and promotion of the rights 
and welfare of migrant women regardless of their work status; 
(9) Protection against discrimination in wages, conditions of work and 
employment opportunities in host countries; 
(h) Employment opportunities for returning women migrant workers taking into 
account their skills and qualifications. 
Corollarily, the State shall also 
promote skills and entrepreneurship development of returning women 
migrant workers. 
hazards; 
SEC. 17. Right to Education and Training. -The shall ensure the following: 
(a) Participation in trainings and extension services related to rights enumerated 
in Sections 6 and 8 of this Act; 
(b) Gender-sensitive trainings and seminars; 
(c) Equal opportunities in scholarship, especially to those interested in research 
and development aimed towards women-friendly farrq technology. 
SEC. 18. Right to Representation and Participation. - The State shall ensure 
women’s participation in policy-making or decision-making bodies in the regional, 
national, and international levels. It shall also ensure the participation the participation of 
at least forty percent (40%) grassroots women leaders in decision and policy making 
bodies in their respective sectors, including but not limited to, Presidential Agrarian 
Reform Council (PARC) and local counterparts; community-based resource 
management bodies or mechanisms on forest management and stewardship; National 
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management (NFARMC) and local counterparts; 
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Presidential Commission for the Urban 
Poor and where applicable, local housing boards; and National Anti-Poverty 
Commission. 
SEC. 19. Right to Information. - Access to information regarding policies on 
women, including programs, projects and budget shall be ensured. 
SEC. 20. Social Protection. - 
(a) The Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Health Insurance 
Corporation (PhilHeaith) shall support indigenous and community-based 
social protection schemes; 
(b) The State shall endeavor to reduce and eventually eliminate transfer costs of 
remittances from abroad through negotiations. 
It shall likewise provide 
11 


access to investment opportunities for remittances in line with national 
development efforts; 
(c) The State shall establish health insurance program for senior citizens. 
SEC. 21. Recognition and Preservation of Cultural Identity and Integrity. - 
The State recognizes and respects the rights of Mor0 and indigenous women to practice, 
promote, protect and preserve their own culture, traditions and institutions and to 
consider these rights in the formulation and implementation of national policies and 
programs, To this end, the State shall adopt measures in consultation with the sectors 
concerned to protect their rights to their indigenous knowledge systems and practices, 
traditional livelihood and other manifestations of their cultures and ways of life; 
Provided, That these cultural systems and practices are not discriminatory to women as 
defined in this Act. 
SEC. 22. Peace and Development. - Peace process shall be pursued with the 
following considerations: 
(a) Increase the number of women participating in decision-making in the peace 
process, including membership in peace panels; 
(b) Ensure the development and inclusion of the women's peace agenda in the 
over-all peace strategy and women's participation in the planning, 
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation and rebuilding of 
conflict-affected areas; 
(c) Include peace perspective in education curriculum and other educational 
undertaking; 
(d) Recognize and support women's role in conflict-prevention and peacemaking, 
and in indigenous systems of conflict resolution. 
SEC. 23. Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances. - For purposes of 
this Act, "Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances" (WEDC) shall refer to victims 
and survivors of sexual and physical abuse, illegal recruitment, involuntary prostitution, 
trafficking, armed conflict, women in detention, and such other related circumstances 
which have incapacitated them functionally. 
SEC. 24. Services and Interventions. - WEDC shall be provided with services 
and interventions as necessary such as, but not limited to the following: 
(a) temporary and protective custody; 
(b) medical and dental services; 
(c) psychological evaluation; 
(d) counseling; 
(e) psychiatric evaluation; 
(f) legal services; 
(9) productivity skills capability building; 
(h) livelihood assistance; 
(i) job placement; 
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(i) financial assistance; 
(k) transportation assistance. 
SEC. 25. Profection of Girl Children. - 
(a) The State shall pursue measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination 
against girl-children in education, health and nutrition, and skills development; 
(b) Girl-children shall be protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation 
caused by negative cultural attitudes and practices as well as in the economic 
exploitation of child labor; 
(c) Equal access of Mor0 and indigenous girl children in the Madaris, schools of 
(d) Gender-sensitive curriculum, including legal literacy, books and curriculum in 
the Madaris and school of living culture and tradition, shall be developed; 
(e) Sensitivity of regular schools to particular Mor0 and indigenous practices, 
such as fasting in the month of Ramadan, choice of clothing (including the 
wearing of hijab) and availability of halal food shall be ensured. 
living culture and traditions, and the regular schools, shall be ensured; 
SEC. 26. Protection of Senior Citizens. - The State shall protect women 
senior citizen from neglect, abandonment, domestic violence, abuse, exploitation and 
discrimination. Towards this end, the State shall ensure special protective mechanisms 
and support services against violence, sexual abuse, exploitation and discrimination of 
older women. 
CHAPTER V 
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS 
SEC. 27. 
Gender Mainstreaming as the Strategy for Implementing the 
Magna Carta of Women. -All departments, including their attached agencies, offices, 
bureaus, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, 
local government units and other government instrumentalities, shall adopt gender 
mainstreaming as the strategy to promote women’s human rights and eliminate gender 
discrimination in their systems, structures, policies. programs, processes and 
procedures which shall include, but not limited to the following: 
(a) Planning and budgeting for gender and development (GAD) - GAD programs 
designed to address gender issues and concerns shall be designed and 
implemented based on the mandate of government agencies and local 
government units, Republic Act 7192, gender equality agenda of the 
government and other GAD-related legislation and policies. 
The 
development of the GAD programs shall proceed from the conduct of a 
gender audit of the agency I LGU and a gender analysis of its policies, 
programs, services and the situation of its clientele; the generation and 
review of sex-disaggregated data; and consultation with gender I women’s 
rights advocates and agency I women clientele. The cost of implementing 
the GAD program shall be the agency’s / LGU’s GAD budget which shall be 
at least five percent (So/,) 
of the agency‘s I LGU’s total budget appropriations. 
LGUs are also encouraged to develop and pass a GAD Code - based on the 
gender issues and concerns in their respective localities and the women’s 
empowerment gender equality agenda of the government. The GAD Code 
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shall also serve as basis for identifying programs, activities and projects on 
GAD. 
Where needed, temporary gender equity measures shall be provided for in 
the plans of all departments, including their attached agencies, offices, 
bureaus, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled 
corporations, local government units and other government instrumentalities. 
To move towards a more sustainable, gender-responsive and performance- 
based planning and budgeting, gender issues and concerns shall be 
integrated in the following plans, among others: 
macro socio-economic plans such as the Medium-Term Philippine 
Development Plan and Medium-Term Philippine Investment Plan; 
annual plans of all departments, including their attached agencies, 
offices, bureaus, state universities and colleges, government-owned 
and controlled corporations; 
3. 
local plans and agenda such as executive-legislative agenda, 
comprehensive development plan (CDP), comprehensive land use 
plan (CLUP), provincial development and physical framework plan 
(PDPFP), annual investment plan. 
(b) Creation and/or strengthening of the GAD focal points - Ail departments, 
including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, state universities and 
colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government 
units and other government instrumentalities shall establish or strengthen 
their GAD Focal Points or similar GAD mechanism. 
GAD Focal Points shall be composed of key fulltime personnel with decision- 
making powers, coming from strategic offices and units, and chaired by the 
agency head or local chief executive. The GAD shall serve as the catalysts 
and/or advocates that will facilitate the implementation of this Act. 
The tasks and functions of the members of the GFP shall form part of their 
regular key result areas. 
An officer duly trained on gender and development shall be designated as the 
gender focal point in the consular section of Philippine embassies or 
consulates. Said officer shall be primarily responsible in handling gender 
concerns of women migrant workers. Attached agencies shall cooperate in 
strengthening the Philippine foreign posts’ program for the delivery of 
services to women migrant workers. 
(c) Generation and maintenance of GAD database - All departments, including 
their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, state universities and colleges, 
government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and 
other government instrumentalities, shall develop and maintain a GAD 
database containing gender statistics and sex-disaggregated data that have 
been systematically gathered, regularly updated and subjected to gender 
analysis for planning, programming and policy formulation. 
1. 
2. 
SEC. 2%. Philippine Commission on Women (PCW). - The National 
Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) shall be renamed as Philippine 
Commission on Women (PCW) and strengthened to be the primary coordinating agency 
and policy advisory on women and gender concerns to the Office of the President and 
the Cabinet. 
It shall also be the overall monitoring body to ensure the implementation of this 
Act. In doing so, the PCW shall direct all agencies to report on the implementation of the 
14 


Act and for them to immediately respond to the problems brought to their attention in 
relation to this Act. The PCW shall also lead in ensuring that government agencies are 
capacitated on effective implementation of this law. The Chairperson shall likewise 
report to the President in Cabinet meetings on the implementation of this Act. 
To the extent possible, the PCW shall influence the systems, processes and 
procedures of the legislative and judicial branches of government vis-&vis GAD to 
ensure the implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 29. The Gender and Development (GAD) Ombud. - A gender and 
development Ombud shall be established in the Commission on Human Rights to: 
(a) 
monitor and oversee the strict implementation of this Act, in coordination 
with NCRFW (PCW); 
on its own or on report or complaint, have the power to require information, 
investigate or hear administrative complaint involving the possible violations 
of this Act; 
(b) 
(c) 
use every and all reasonable means to ascertain the facts in the report or 
complaint, in all instances observing due process; 
recommend to the President or the Civil Service Commission any possible 
administrative action based on non-compliance or failure to implement the 
provisions of this Act; 
direct agencies to immediately respond to the problems brought to their 
attention in relation to the implementation of this Act and report to the 
Council on action taken; assist in filing of cases against individuals, 
agencies, institutions or establishments that violate the provisions of this 
Act. 
(d) 
(e) 
SEC. 30. lncentives and Awards, - There shall be established an incentives 
and awards systems which shall be administered by a board under such rules and 
regulations as may be promulgated by the NCRFW (PCW) to deserving entities, 
government agencies and local government units for their outstanding performance in 
upholding the rights of women and effective implementation of gender-responsive 
programs. 
CHAPTER VI 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 31. lmplemenfing Rules and Regulations. - As the lead agency, the 
NCRFW (PCW) shall, in coordination with the Commission on Human Rights and all 
departments and agencies including both Houses of Congress through the Senate 
Committee on Youth, Women and Family Relations and the House Committee on 
Women and Gender Equality as observers. 
SEC. 32. Separability Ciause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SEC. 33 
Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, 
or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
15 


SEC. 34. Effectivify Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
16