7 *r>#Zn 
' I , -  
7 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
8 
Introduced by SENATOR LACSON 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Throughout the years there had been developments in the field of law in 
terms of advancing the rights of women and the latest of which is the landmark 
law, Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children 
Act, Unfortunately, RA 9262 only covered a particular area of concern, which is 
domestic violence and its different forms. Verily, there are still other problems 
confronted by Filipino women that are left unaddressed and unnoticed by the 
government. 
Recognition by the State of the rights of our Filipino women as embodied 
in our Constitution, different laws, and in international agreements will mean 
nothing if these same rights are not protected, much less enforced. Thus, this 
Magna Carta for Women aims to finally put to rest all forms of discrimination and 
other oppressive factors that hinder the Filipino woman from realizing her fullest 
potential. This shall include not only the usual forms of discrimination or the 
common forms of violence against women but will also cover issues pertaining to 
their health, education, livelihood, civic awareness, political participation, and 
over-all empowerment. 
The Magna Carta for Women hopes to achieve genuine equality of both 
men and women in every aspect of society while respecting their natural 
differences. The objectives set forth in this bill are increased participation and 
representation of women in all spheres of society; equal treatment of women 
before the law; equal access and elimination of discrimination in education, 
scholarships and training; non-discriminatory portrayal of women in media and 
film; ensured access to information and services relating to women's health; and 


ensuring equal rights in all matters relating to marriage & family relations. The 
bill also specifically provided that customary laws will be respected only insofar 
as it does not contradict the above-enumerated rights. 
This proposed measure shall utilize gender mainstreaming as its main 
building block in bringing about the needed changes in our society through the 
formulation of gender and development (GAD) programs by each government 
departmenuagency or local government unit. These GAD programs shall cater 
to their locality's specific needs or concerns based on the gender audit of their 
agency and the gender analysis of their existing policies or programs. Moreover, 
this bill also proposes the creation of a GAD Ombud, who will be a part of the 
Commission on Human Rights and who will act as the main arbitrator in the 
implementation of this Act. 
In view thereof, the early passage of this bill is earnestly recommended, 
PA 
ON 
enator 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC} 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Lacson 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA FOR WOMEN 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “The Magna Carfa for 
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 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 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
I 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
21 
28 
29 
30 
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. Temporary special measures must be discontinued when their 
desired results have been achieved and sustained for a period of time. 
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. 
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. Definitions. - 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 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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 - a condition where a whole category of people is excluded 
from useful participation in political, economic, social and cultural life. 
(D) The marginalized refer 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 Rural 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; (b) rural workers who are 
either wage earners, self-employed, unpaid family workers directly & personally 
engaged in agriculture, small scale mining handicrafts and other related on-farmloff- 
farm activities 
2. Fishers. - refer to those directly or indirectly engaged in taking, culturing or 
processing fishery or aquatic resources. These include, but are not be 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. 
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 
3 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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 the Informal Economy. - shall refer to 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. Indigenous Peoples. - refer to those who are members of any indigenous 
peopleslindigenous cultural communities of the Philippines as defined under Section 
3(h), Chapter I1 of Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known as "The Indigenous People's 
Rights Act of 1997" (IPRA of 1997). 
8. Mor0 - refer to indigenous peoples that historically inhabited Mindanao, 
Palawan and Sulu, and who are of the Islamic 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. 
I O .  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 the 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 itsolo Parents 
Welfare Act of 2000". 
(E) Gender - refers to the Socially differentiated roles, characteristics and 
4 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
expectations attributed by culture to women and men. It is created, produced, 
reproduced and maintained by social institutions. 
Gender roles and attributes are not natural nor biologically given. 
(F) Gender Equality indicates that men and women enjoy the same status; have 
equal conditions for realizing their full human potentials to contribute to and benefit from 
the results of development 
(G) Gender and Development (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; 
(H) Gender Mainstreaming 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. 
(I) 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: 
1. physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence 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 
5 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
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. 
The abovementioned acts shall be that as defined and punished by R.A. 9262, 
otherwise known as “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 to 
wit: 
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 women 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 mistressllover 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. 
Psychological 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 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. 
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 
6 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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 the rights of women under this Act to be 
enjoyed without discrimination, including but not limited to the following: 
(a) 
The right to participate in all spheres of society including decision making 
processes to fully realize their role as agents and beneficiaries of people centered 
development. They shall participate in the formulation, implementation and evaluation 
of policies, plans and programs for national, regional and local development; 
(b) 
(c) 
The right to equal treatment before the law; 
The right to be provided with safe and healthful conditions in the 
workplace; 
(d) 
The right to be given to equal access to education, skills, training and 
economic resources to develop their self -reliance and to participate fully in all aspects 
of life; 
(e) 
The right to be properly informed of the issues and concerns affecting their 
welfare and access to comprehensive and gender sensitive health services such as 
maternal and child care and family planning; 
(9 
The right to be heard and represented in government and in all community 
based decision making bodies; 
(9) 
The right to determine and decide their own priorities for development 
affecting their lives, beliefs, institutions, spiritual well being and resources; 
(h) 
The right to be protected from any form of discrimination, violence, sexual 
exploitation and abuse; 
(i) 
The right to be provided with basic services which shall include, but not 
limited to water, and food, electricity, education, health and sanitation, employment, 
housing, social security and basic physical infrastructure; 
7 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
(j) 
The right to be properly and adequately informed on programs and 
policies affecting their livelihood and economic choices: and 
(k) 
The right to be given equal rights to family properties and resources 
whether titled or not, and inherited, whether formal or customary. 
SEC. 5. Protection from Violence- the State shall ensure that all women shall be 
protected from all forms of violence as provided for under existing laws. Agencies of 
government shall give priority to the defense and protection of women against gender- 
based offenses and help women attain justice and healing. 
Towards this end, 
measures to prosecute and reform offenders shall likewise be pursued. 
(A). Within the next five years, there shall be an incremental increase in the 
recruitment and training of women in the police force, forensics and medico-legal, legal 
services and such other services availed by women who are victims of gender - related 
offenses until 50% of personnel shall be women. 
(B). Women shall have the right to protection and security in situations of armed 
conflict and militarization. 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. 
(C). All government personnel involved in the protection and defense of women 
against gender-based violence shall undergo a mandatory training on human rights and 
gender sensitivity pursuant to this Act. 
SEC. 6. 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. It shall recognize the right of women to organize in order to promote their 
welfare, protect their rights, express their concerns, develop skills, advance or 
safeguard their interests and initiate action to resolve women’s issues. 
Towards this 
8 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
end, the government shall encourage the establishment of Self help and political 
organizations such as but not limited to cooperatives, associations and people's 
organizations to enable members to improve their quality of life and enhance their 
socio-cultural and political role and status in society. 
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; 
(A) Empowerment in Civil Service. - The national and local governments shall 
ensure the equitable distribution of power and decision making at all levels of the 
bureaucracy. Appointive positions in the national and local governments from the 
grassroots level to the top levels of management in the bureaucracy shall be open to 
qualified women regardless of the number holding elective positions in the local political 
units. 
Women shall be given equal opportunities for promotion in any government 
position up to the highest level. Within the next five (5) years, the number of women in 
third level positions in government shall be increased to achieve a fifty-fifty gender 
balance. 
Every government agency shall also conduct gender sensitivity training for public 
servants from rank and file to supervisory positions and shall also provide equal access 
to managerial, entrepreneurial, technical and leadership training to women in the public 
service. 
(B) Development Councils and Planning Bodies. To ensure the participation of 
women in all levels of development planning and program implementation, all local 
development councils from the regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels 
shall include at least 33% of their membership representatives from the women sector. 
They shall also be represented in national and local special decision-making bodies 
such as but not limited to agriculture, fisheries, agrarian reform and anti-poverty 
councils. 
(C) International bodies. The State shall take all appropriate measures to ensure 
women, on equal terms with men and without any discrimination, the opportunity to 
9 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
represent their Governments at the international level and to participate in the work of 
international organizations. 
(D) Integration of Women in Political Parties. - 
All political parties shall 
encourage recruitment of women to become members of the party and shall likewise 
encourage the representation of women in their internal policy making structures, 
appointive and electoral nominating process. 
To ensure fundamental equality of men and women, all duty accredited political 
parties are hereby encouraged to provide adequate representation of women in its slate 
of official candidates in the election for local and national positions. The State shall 
provide incentives to political parties with women’s agenda and with women comprising 
at least 33% of their leadership and membership. 
(F) 
Private sector. The State shall take measures to encourage women 
leadership in the private sector in the form of incentives. 
SEC. 7. Equal Treatment before the Law, The State shall take the necessary 
steps to review, amend and/or repeal existing laws that are discriminatory to women, 
within three years from the effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. 8. 
Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education, 
Scholarships and Training. 
(A) 
The State shall remove gender stereotypes and images in educational 
materials and curricula. Gender-sensitive language shall be used at all times. Capacity- 
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 in the education sector, including the 
private sector and churcheslfaith groups shall be encouraged. 
(6) Enrollment of women and men in non-traditional skills training in 
vocational and tertiary levels shall be encouraged. 
(C) 
Expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting the enrollment and other related 
discrimination of women students due to pregnancy out of marriage, shall be outlawed. 
SEC. 9. Non-discriminatory Portrayal of Women in Media and Film - The State 
shall fmnulate Policies and programs for the advancement of women in collaboration 
10 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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 the mass media. 
For this purpose, the State shall provide incentives to encourage programming 
that appropriately present women’s needs, issues and concerns in movies, television 
shows, advertisements and print media, and support media watch groups, media 
professional associations and women’s organizations. 
Similarly, gender-sensitivity 
training (GST) programs for all media practitioners including producers, directors, 
managers, journalists, news editors, news reporters, publishers as well as those in the 
movie and advertising industries shall be organized by their respective organizations 
and publishers to encourage the creation and use of non-stereotyped, balanced, diverse 
and positive images of women in media. The use of gender-fair language shall also be 
encouraged specifically in the practice of their profession. 
The MTRCB shall revise its rules and regulations to discourage unfair or 
derogatory portrayal of women in both media and film. 
SEC. 10. Access to Information and Services relating to Women’s Health; 
(A) Comprehensive Health Services. - The State shall at all times provide for 
comprehensive gender responsive health services and programs covering all stages of 
a woman’s life cycle and ensure access to the following: 
1. Maternal care services; 
2. 
Nutrition services; 
3. 
4. Adolescent and youth health services; 
5. Women and children protection services; 
6. 
Reproductive health services excluding abortion; 
Screening and appropriate management of reproductive tract infections 
(RTIS) including sexually transmitted infections (STIS), human immunodeficiency virus 
(HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), breast and reproductive tract 
cancers, and other gynecological conditions; 
7. PENentiOn and management of abortion and its complications; 
1 1  


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
I 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
11 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
21 
28 
29 
30 
8. Healthy lifestyle activities; 
9. Care of the elderly; 
I O .  Health services for women with disabilities; 
11. Post-menopausal services; 
12. VAW Services - Women victims and survivors shall be provided with 
comprehensive services which include psychosocial, therapeutic, medical and legal 
interventions and assistance towards healing, recovery and empowerment 
(6) 
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, The important role of parents in the total formation of their children 
2. The formation of a person’s sexuality that affirms human dignity 
3. Modern, safe and effective family planning methods including fertility 
awareness 
SEC. 11. Equal rights in all matters relating to marriage and family relations. The 
State shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in 
all matters relating to marriage and family relations and shall ensure: 
(1) The same right to enter into and leave partnerships or relationships other than 
those referred to in the Family Code; 
(2) The same right to choose freely a spouse and to enter into marriage only with 
their free and full consent; 
(3) The joint decision on the number and spacing of their children and to have 
access to information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights; 
(4) The same personal rights as husband and wife, including the right to choose 
freely a profession and an occupation; 
(5) The same rights for both spouses in respect of the ownership, acquisition, 
management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition of property; 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
(6) 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 
SEC. 12. The Marginalized Sector. - The State shall, at all times provide for the 
protection, rehabilitation and empowerment of women belonging to the marginalized 
sectors who are economically, politically, socially and culturally disadvantaged. Women 
falling under this category are guaranteed all the rights- civil, political, social 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. 13. Rights of Women in the Marginalized Sector. - 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: 
(A) 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 of everyone to adequate food that is culturally acceptable and 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
security by providing that: 
27 
28 
29 
30 
free from unsafe substances and culturally accepted. 
(B) 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 
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 
13 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
is defined by the woman’s relationship to the tillage, i.e. her direct and indirect 
contribution to the development of the land; 
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 of 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-managed 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 
distribution shall be ensured; 
11. Indigenous practices of women in seed storage and cultivation shall be 
recognized; 
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; 
14 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
13. Provide economic opportunities for the indigenous women, particularly 
access to market for their produce. 
SEC. 14. 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. 15. Right to Employment, Livelihood, Credit, Capital and Technology- the 
State shall ensure that women shall be provided with the following: 
(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; 
(C) Support services and gears to protect them from occupational and health 
hazards. 
(D) Support services that will 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 
all efforts to address the causes of out-migration 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; 
(G) 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. 
SEC. 16. Right to Education and Training -The State shall ensure the following: 
(A) Participation in trainings and extension services related to rights enumerated 
15 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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 farm technology. 
SEC. 17. Right to Representation and Participation - The State shall ensure their 
participation in policy-making or decision-making bodies in the regional, national, and 
international levels. It shall also ensure the participation of at least thirty three percent 
(33%) 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 Council (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. 18. Right to Information - Access to information regarding policies on 
women, including programs, projects and budget shall be ensured. 
SEC. 19. Social Protection. - (A) The Social Security System (SSS) and the 
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) shall support indigenous and 
community-based social protection schemes; 
(B) The State shall endeavor to reduce and eventually eliminate transfer costs of 
It shall likewise provide access to 
remittances from abroad through negotiations. 
investment opportunities for remittances in line with national development efforts; 
(C) The State shall establish alternative social security system and health 
insurance program for senior citizens. 
SEC. 20. Recognition and Preservation of Cultural ldentityllntegrity - 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 
16 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
I 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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. 21. 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; 
(6) 
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. 22. Protection 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 
living culture and traditions and the regular schools, shall be ensured; 
(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 Ramadhan, choice of clothing (including the wearing of 
hijab) and halal food shall be ensured. 
SEC. 23. 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 
17 


I 
2 
older women. 
CHAPTER V 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS 
SEC. 24. 
Gender Mainstreaming as a 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 a 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 be 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, RA 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/ 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/ women’s rights advocates and 
agency/ women clientele. The cost of implementing the GAD program shall be the 
agency’s1 LGU’s GAD budget which shall be at feast five percent (5%) of the agency’s/ 
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 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: 
I8 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
1. Macro socio-economic plans such as the Medium-Term Philippine Development 
Plan and Medium-Term Philippine Investment Plan; 
2. Annual plans of 
all departments, including their attached agencies, offices, 
bureaus, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled 
corporations;; 
3. Local plans;/ 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 POINT 
SYSTEM. - Considering the concept of Gender and Development (GAD) as being a 
development perspective and process that are participatory in nature and seeks to 
empower an equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, 
supportive of self-.determination and actualization of human potentials in achieving 
gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices 
and seeks to transform society’s social, economic and political structures by making 
women 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, 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 establish or strengthen their GAD Focal Point System or similar 
GAD mechanism to catalyze and accelerate gender mainstreaming within the agency/ 
LGU. 
The GAD Focal Point System shall be composed of the agency head/ local chief 
executive, an Executive Committee with an Undersecretary (or its equivalent) / LGU 
official/ officer in a strategic decision-making position as Chair; and a Technical Working 
Group or Secretariat which is composed of representatives from various divisions/ 
offices within the agency or LGU. 
The tasks and functions of the members of the GFP shall form part of their 
regular key result areas and shall be given due weight in their performance evaluation. 
(D) 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 
19 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
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. 
SEC. 25. Gender and Development Officer Abroad. - 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. 
SEC. 26. The Philippine Commission on Women. The National Commission 
on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) shall be renamed as Philippine Commission 
on Women (PCW) and strengthened as 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 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 in the 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-a-vis GAD to 
ensure the implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 27. The Gender and Development (GAD) Ombud. - A Gender and 
Development Ombud (GAD Ombud) shall be established in the Commission on Human 
Rights. The GAD Ombud shall: 
(1) 
Monitor and oversee the strict implementation of this Act, inc coordination 
with NCRFW; 
(2) 
On its own or on report or complaint, have the power to require 
information, investigate or hear administrative complaint involving the possible violations 
20 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
of this Act; 
(3) 
Use every and all reasonable means to ascertain the facts in the report or 
complaint, in all instances observing due process; 
(4) 
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; 
(5) 
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; and 
(6) Assist in filing of cases against individuals, agencies, institutions or 
establishment that violate the provision of this Act. 
SEC. 28. Incentives and awards- there shall be established an incentives and 
awards system which shall be administered by a board under such rules and 
regulations as may be promulgated by the NCRFW 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. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - As the lead agency, the 
NCRFW shall, in coordination with the Commission on Human Rights and all 
departments and agencies, formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of 
this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity. 
SEC. 30. Separability Clause. - 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. 31. 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. 
SEC. 32. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
21 


1 
2 
Approved, 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
22