CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 245. Women comprised more than half (53 percent) of the 1.45 million government employees in 1999. As in the last reporting period, they dominate the second level employees (professional, technical and scientific in nature) at 71.9 percent. However, women appointees to the third level or career executive positions comprise only about a third (34.8 percent) of the total. Similarly, women continue to form a minority of those in second-level positions in government-owned or controlled corporations, such as the Water Districts, the Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, and the Bases Conversion Development Authority. This reflects the continued gender-based segregation in the bureaucracy. 246. Probably owing to the CSC programs, women’s share of decision-making positions in the bureaucracy has increased. In 2002, women held 1,148 CES posts, including those designated as acting or officer-in-charge in constitutional agencies and national government agencies. These accounted for about 36 percent (versus 34.8 percent in 1999) of the total filled-up CES positions. In government-owned and controlled corporations, women in CES positions numbered 963, or 43 percent of the total. There were fewer women among CES level appointees (1,056, or 37 percent of the total) in constitutional agencies and national government agencies. 247. RA 7192, or the Women in Nation Building Act of 1992, opened the doors of the military and police to women. Since then, women have made significant progress. In 1997, women accounted for 15 percent of the 47 graduates of the Philippine Military Academy. In the SY 1999-2000 admission exams, 17 percent of 1,486 women applicants passed, with a woman topping the exams. In the police force, there were already more than 5,000 women out of a total of 108,291 police officers in 2000. Many of the women are assigned to the Women’s Desks or units in-charge of handling cases of violence against women and girls. Much remains to be done, however, to promote women’s participation in the military and police service, including opportunity to work in areas of law enforcement other than the Women and Children’s Desks. 248. In 1999, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines reported that 18 percent of lawyers are women. In the Philippine Medical Association, 8 of the 22 national officers (36 percent) are women, although the ratio is much lower at the provincial level. In the Philippine Dental Association, only 9 percent of the officers are women, even if 68 percent of the total membership is female. 249. Out of the 67 representatives of various sports associations, only 7 percent are women, who come from the National Archery Association, Philippine Amateur Track and Field, Philippine Equestrian Association and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines. B. ACTIONS TAKEN Legislation and policies 250. A number of legislative and executive policies were adopted to increase women’s participation and representation in decision-making. These include: a. RA 8371, or The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, which requires that indigenous women be represented in decision-making at all levels. 75