CEDAW/C/SR.327 English Page 4 11. Violence against women had posed a serious challenge to the Government. In the absence of a law on domestic violence, a multi-agency task force had issued a presidential directive requesting that measures should be taken to educate the public on the issue of domestic violence and respect for women’s rights. The Philippine National Police continued its efforts to establish policewomen’s desks in every police station in the country. Over 3,000 cases had been reported to acted upon by such desks in 1996. The foregoing initiatives were based on CEDAW General Recommendation No. 19. 12. Turning to the Philippines commitment to and implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, she noted that President Ramos had signed Executive Order 273 approving the Philippine Plan for Gender-responsive Development, 1995-2025, and designating it as the main mechanism to implement the Platform for Action. Alternative non-formal education systems and literacy programmes for women and girls in indigenous communities had been implemented. The Department of Health had decided to focus, inter alia, on trying to achieve the highest level of health for women throughout their life cycle and on working for the empowerment of women to exercise their reproductive rights. In 1996, for the first time, a woman had been appointed Secretary of Health. Various lending schemes had been set up to provide women access to loans with no collateral requirement. A career advancement programme for women in government service had been adopted to enhance their capability to break the "glass ceiling" and to advance to decision-making positions. There were also provisions to protect the special needs of girl children in emergency situations. 13. In order to sustain the gains achieved so far in implementing the Platform for Action, the Government needed to ensure that more effective, integrated, regular and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were in place. The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women hoped that the Committee’s experts could help it to develop such mechanisms. 14. In partnership with women’s non-governmental organizations, legislators and individual advocates, the National Commission endeavoured to rid the country’s laws of discriminatory provisions. The overall picture showed gradual improvements in the status of women in various fields. While women’s contributions to the economic upkeep of households had increased, there had been no significant sharing of domestic tasks and responsibilities. An increasing number of women were entering the labour force, but wide gaps remained as far as the conditions of employment and pay of women and men were concerned. While women predominated in the professional and technical fields of the civil service, top positions were generally held by men. Women were reluctant to run for political office, although more and more of them participated in voting. Indeed, all the problems that had been raised in the fourth report were yet to be resolved. 15. She welcomed the Committee’s comments on the work of the National Commission, and would share the Committee’s assessment and advice with her constituents back home. 16. Responding to questions by the members of the Committee (CEDAW/C/1997/CRP.1/Add.3), she said that four laws of significance to the advancement of women had been passed in 1996, relating to the inclusion of women on party lists, paid paternity leave, protection of migrant workers and / ...