Representatives of a Labor NGO join bikers on June 13 in celebration of Pride month, express support for 10K ayuda for Filipino families and ending gender-based violence in workplaces.
According to the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER), workers, especially women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, continue to experience discrimination inside the workplace.
“Job opportunities continue to be scarce for women and members of LGBTQIA+. There is still a prevalent wage disparity between men and women. Forms of workplace harassment still occur especially for women,” said EILER Executive Director Rochelle Porras.
EILER also pointed out that women suffered the brunt of the failed pandemic response of the Duterte administration. According to the Labor Force Survey by the PSA, in February 2021, women comprise 50.9% of the labor force or around 18.9 million. About 1.8 million are unemployed, while 2.5 million are underemployed. According to the World Health Organization, 70% of global health workers are women, yet they earn 28% less than men.
Meanwhile, the long-standing call to pass the Anti-discrimination Bill continue to fall on deaf ears. The Bill gives protection from discrimination based on “protected attributes” such as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, nationality, among others. Despite worsening cases of harassment, discrimination, and violence on vulnerable sectors, Congress and Senate have time and again, failed to pass the bill.
EILER also calls on the Duterte Administration to ratify ILO C190 to strengthen measures that would prevent gender-based violence and would protect both formal and informal workers in the country against violence and harassment.
“Even though we have come a long way in fighting against discrimination and gender-based violence, we still have a long-way to go. As long as the structures in place serve to reinforce patriarchal values, and as long as the government continue to uphold the neoliberal policies that serve profit of the few, discrimination will continue to exist,” added Porras.
EILER calls for greater unity among workers and other sectors to fight workplace discrimination, and to call for ayuda and greater support for women, LGBTQIA+, and all sectors affected by the pandemic.
“We thank the organizers of the pride bike ride for providing space and leading the activity to promote gender rights,” Porras ended. #
