CEDAW/C/SR.1406
The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the
Convention (continued)
Combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of the Philippines (continued)
(CEDAW/C/PHL/7-8; CEDAW/C/PHL/Q/7-8 and Add.1)
Articles 7 to 9 (continued)
1.
At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of the Philippines took places at the
Committee table.
2.
Ms. Verzosa (Philippines), replying to questions posed at the previous meeting, said
that statistics from the Commission on Elections demonstrated that more women than men
had registered to vote in the recent 2016 elections. The number of women candidates
elected, however, remained well below the 50 per cent target, at just 17.5 per cent, although
that figure was based on partial election results. The Philippine Commission on Women
organized events and used crowdsourcing on social media to foster women’s participation
in the shaping of Government policy. Progress had been made towards achieving the 50 per
cent quota introduced to ensure women’s equal representation in third-level managerial
positions, with around 44 per cent of those positions currently being occupied by women.
Lastly, several bills aimed at promoting women’s equal representation in political parties
had yet to be approved, and efforts would be made to ensure that those bills were prioritized
in Congress.
3.
Ms. Rebong (Philippines) said that 44 per cent of Filipino ambassadors and chiefs
of mission and 45 per cent of high-ranking positions within the Department of Foreign
Affairs were occupied by women. It was therefore hoped that an equal gender balance
would soon be achieved. In the meantime, the Government would make use of information
campaigns and the Committee’s upcoming recommendations in order to encourage more
women to seek out high-level roles in different sectors.
4.
Ms. Sobritchea (Philippines) said that indigenous communities were represented on
planning and decision-making bodies at the national level, where a goal of 30 per cent for
women’s participation had been set, and similar quotas at other levels of government had
been introduced in order to foster the active engagement of indigenous peoples.
5.
Ms. Jahan said that she would welcome clarification on whether the Citizenship
Retention and Reacquisition Act and the Magna Carta of Women provided women and men
with equal rights to transmit Philippine citizenship to their children and to foreign spouses.
She also wished to know to what extent information had been disseminated about the Act
and whether data could be provided on the number of Filipino women who, having lost
their Philippine citizenship, had subsequently reacquired it.
6.
Ms. Rebong (Philippines) said that, under the Constitution, both Filipino women
and men had the right to transfer their Philippine citizenship to their children. Filipino
women who were required to become naturalized citizens of another country owing to
marriage to a foreign national were able to retain their Philippine citizenship.
7.
Ms. Zou Xiaoqiao said that she wished to know whether there had been any
systematic impact assessment of the Philippine National Action Plan on Women, Peace and
Security for the period 2010-2016 for the implementation of Security Council resolutions
1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) and whether the Plan would continue beyond 2016.
8.
Ms. Verzosa (Philippines) said that there was an ongoing assessment of the impact
of the Philippine National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and that the
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