Regulations Update: Magna Carta of Women

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Imelda A. Manguiat The Magna Carta o !omen "#epubli$ A$t %o. &'10( )as ena$ted by Congress in May 200& and it )as signed into la) by ormer President *loria Arroyo in August 200&. This is probably one o the more signi i$ant pie$es o legislation passed under the Arroyo administration but )as not gi+en mu$h attention by the publi$ or the media. Pursuant to the mandate o the la) or the Philippine Commission on !omen "PC!(, in $oordination )ith the Commission on ,uman #ights, to ormulate the rules and regulations to implement the la), the PC! " ormerly, the %ational Commission on the #ole o -ilipino !omen( promulgated .oard #esolution %o. 1, Series o 2010, entitled Appro+ing and Adopting the Implementing #ules and #egulations o #epubli$ A$t %o. &'10, other)ise /no)n as the Magna Carta o !omen. The #ules )ere published in the ne)spapers on 0une 21, 2010. The #ules reiterated the poli$ies behind the la) )hi$h are to ensure the substanti+e e2uality bet)een )omen and men, promote e2ual opportunities or )omen and men and ensure e2ual a$$ess to resour$es. To this end, the State shall endea+or to de+elop plans, poli$ies and programs to address dis$rimination and ine2uality in the e$onomi$, politi$al, $i+il, so$ial and $ultural li e o )omen and men. The Magna Carta o !omen establishes the basi$ prin$iple that all rights in the Constitution and those rights re$ogni3ed under international instruments )hi$h are duly signed and rati ied by the Philippines shall be the rights o a )oman, to be en4oyed )ithout dis$rimination. It then pro$eeded to enumerate spe$i i$ rights o )omen, among )hi$h are5 the right to be prote$ted rom all orms o +iolen$e, the right to e2ual treatment be ore the la), the right to e2ual a$$ess to, and elimination o dis$rimination in, edu$ation, s$holarships and training, the right to e2uality in treatment in sports, the right to non6dis$rimination in the military, poli$e and similar ser+i$es, the right to $omprehensi+e, $ulture6sensiti+e and gender6responsi+e health ser+i$es, the right to e2uality in the issuan$e o ste)ardship $ontra$ts and patents to land, e2uality under the agrarian re orm programs, e2ual rights to land, )ater and other natural resour$es in an$estral domains, right to housing, de$ent )or/, $redit, $apital and te$hnology and right to representation in poli$y6 ma/ing or de$ision ma/ing bodies in the regional, national and international le+els. The #ules pro+ide or the establishment o the 7iolen$e Against !omen "7A!( 8es/ in e+ery barangay. The 7A! 8es/ shall assist +i$tims o 7A! in se$uring barangay prote$tion orders and re er $ases to go+ernment agen$ies and non6go+ernmental organi3ations, as ne$essary. The punong barangay shall designate a 7A! 8es/ person trained in handling 7A! $ases. To implement the right to e2ual treatment under the la), the #ules pro+ide that the State shall ta/e steps to re+ie) and, )hen ne$essary, amend or repeal e9isting la)s )hi$h are dis$riminatory to )omen )ithin three years rom the e e$ti+ity o the Magna Carta o !omen. Among the la)s that )ill be gi+en priority or amendment are5 "a( the pro+isions o the -amily Code "i( gi+ing pre eren$e to the ather:s $onsent to the marriage o $hildren bet)een the ages o 1; and 21< "ii( gi+ing pre eren$e to the de$ision o the husband, in $ase o disagreement )ith the

)i e, on the administration o $ommunity or $on4ugal property, the persons o their $ommon $hildren, and the e9er$ise o legal guardianship on the property o their $hild< and "iii( on the re2uirement o repeated physi$al abuse and grossly abusi+e $ondu$t as a ground or legal separation< "b( pro+isions o the #e+ised Penal Code on adultery and $on$ubinage, +agrants and prostitutes, premature marriages and death in li$ted under e9$eptional $ir$umstan$es< "$( pro+ision o the =abor Code on night )or/ prohibition against )omen< "d( the Code o Muslim Personal =a)s< and "e( #A ;1>1 on remo+al o $riminal liability o rapist )hen the +i$tim marries him. As to e2uality in a$$ess to edu$ation, the #ules mandate that )ithin three years rom its adoption, the 8epartment o ?du$ation, Commission on ,igher ?du$ation and the Te$hni$al ?du$ation and S/ills 8e+elopment Authority shall de+elop and promote gender6sensiti+e $urri$ulum and gender6 air instru$tional materials. The #ules also reiterate that e9pulsion and non6readmission o )omen a$ulty due to pregnan$y outside o marriage shall be outla)ed and no s$hool may re use a emale student solely on a$$ount o her being pregnant outside o marriage during her term in s$hool. The la) and the #ules re$ogni3e and implement many other rights o )omen. The $hallenge to the ne) administration is )hether it )ill ha+e the politi$al )ill to en or$e the la) and de+ote the resour$es needed to ensure that the rights o )omen are respe$ted not only in )ords, but also, and more importantly, in deed.