The Philippine government prides itself to be a State party to eight core international human rights instruments and six optional protocols. It is also a founding member of the Human Rights Council in 2006 and it commits to be a State partner of the Human Rights Council.
As such, the Philippine government made commitments to promote, protect, and fulfill the rights of our citizens, especially the poor and the marginalized and the vulnerable, and social justice shall be pursued, even as the rule of law shall prevail at all times. Further, it states that “this administration shall implement a rights-based approach to development and governance, as we improve our people’s welfare in the areas of health, adequate food and water, housing, environmental preservation, and respect for culture.” Finally, it reiterated that “human rights must work to uplift human dignity.”
The Philippine government also committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of women through various policies and programs during its third cycle review in 2017. It cited national laws and regulations to prove such claims, such as the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Philippines and for particular women’s concerns, the Magna Carta of Women and the Reproductive Health Law.
It supported these recommendations on women’s rights during the 3rd cycle:, “To continue its work to strengthen its policies to further promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination and violence against women (Recommendation 133.227 from Brunei Darussalam); and Carry on the efforts to combat all forms of discrimination and violence against women (Recommendation 133.228 from Tunisia).
With the Philippines government’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), it committed itself to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms.
Further, at the Magna Carta of Women, it defined the State as the primary duty-bearer that shall: (a) Refrain from discriminating against women and violating their rights; (b) Protect women against discrimination and from violation of their rights by private corporations, entities, and individuals; and (c) Promote and fulfill the rights of women in all spheres, including their rights to substantive equality and non-discrimination.
This report shows that despite these commitments and support to UPR recommendations, the Filipino women’s condition remains challenging. CWR is putting forward recommendations for the Philippine government, which hopefully will be supported by other member states.
Read the full report here: https://centerforwomensresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Center-for-Womens-Resources-CWR-Philippines-Submission-to-the-4th-Cycle-of-the-UPR-1.pdf
