CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 Sports and recreational activities 495. As of September 1998, the National Team consisted of 533 athletes, with the 174 women accounting for only a third of the total. Among the coaches and their assistants, men outnumbered the women 167 to 15. 496. The five-year sector plan for Philippine sports that was crafted by the Philippine Sports Commission includes as one of its targets the promotion of gender equity in sports. To achieve this, the plan includes use of female role models, women’s sports strategy, gender balance in all publications, and alternative club competition programs for women. The Commission has also offered opportunities for female junior athletes to undergo training programs aimed to develop their potentials, while the various National Sports Associations subsidized the training of female (and male) athletes. Moreover, the Commission gives due recognition to the accomplishments of seasoned female athletes who have given honor to the country in past international tournaments. 497. Still pending in the Senate are Senate bills 764, 1104, 1108 and 1247 that seek to grant women equal opportunity to athletic scholarship and to prizes of sports (see paragraph 292 for details). C. REMAINING ISSUES AND CHALLENGES 498. There are various interventions undertaken to provide women greater access to social and economic benefits, but high interest rates and stringent credit policies of lending and financial institutions hamper the growth of women’s enterprises. 499. Micro and small enterprises for women actually produce items that are among the prime products such as garments, food, and giftware in the export market. These enterprises need to be provided with comprehensive technical and financial assistance to make them more viable and become more globally competitive. Micro entrepreneurs are complaining of lack of capital, declining demand and competition from cheaper imports. These issues can be addressed through making available breakthrough credit as opposed to micro credit accessible to all kinds of poor women; strengthening cooperativism among women; and providing skills training in financial management and integrate credit schemes with livelihood and enterprise development. 500. An integrated approach on credit and technical assistance for women’s agriculture-related enterprises should be pursued vigorously with special attention to ensuring food security as they produce and market globally competitive agricultural products. 501. Women’s participation in sports is still limited. At best, only the popular female sports personalities are given attention. Still lacking is a comprehensive and aggressive sports program to seek out and develop women and young athletes among the populace in the rural areas. Only those who already have their own private initiatives and financial capabilities to engage in sports such as those in swimming and tennis, receive the attention of sports agencies. At present, there is a need to improve the disproportionate representation of women in the sports delivery system. Women must be involved not only in sports per se, but more importantly, in the highest levels of sports administration. In sports, gender equity and equality 135