Safer environments for women to contribute
Across industries and countries, women’s participation in the workforce has expanded significantly over the past few decades. Yet, women’s presence in workplaces does not automatically translate into safety, fairness, or equal opportunity.
While excelling in economic participation, many women still encounter gender-based discrimination, harassment, and barriers to career advancement. Creating safer and fairer workplaces, therefore, requires more than hiring women. It demands structural change, strong institutional policies, and cultural shifts within organizations.
In World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, the Philippines ranked 20th out of 148 countries. With an overall gender parity score of 78.1%, the country reaffirms its leadership in Asia as one of the most gender-equal countries.
Despite these high rankings, the daily reality for many Filipino women remains complex. Statistical success often masks the persistent gender-based discrimination, harassment, and invisible barriers that hinder career advancement.
The crisis of workplace harassment
One of the most pressing issues women face at work is gender-based harassment and violence. Studies show that harassment — ranging from inappropriate remarks to coercion and intimidation — remains a widespread concern in many workplaces.
In a study by International Labour Organization (ILO), 22.8% of employees globally have experienced violence and harassment at work.
The local statistics attests to this. Research from the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment indicates that one in seven women experience sexual harassment in the workplace at least once every week. These occurrences remain largely underreported.
Fear of reprisal or professional retaliation often keeps victims silent, allowing toxic environments to persist.
Such environments not only harm individual well-being but also discourage women from fully participating in the workplace. This requires clear reporting mechanisms, confidential complaint systems, and strict enforcement of anti-harassment policies.
Economic inequality
Fairness in the workplace is also inextricably linked to economic equality. While employment rates for women have improved, the gender wage gap remains a stubborn fixture in many sectors.
Data from WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2024 shows that women continue to earn significantly less than men for similar work. Globally, this gap sits at approximately 20%.
In the Philippines, the disparity is even more pronounced in specific contexts. According to a 2023 LinkedIn report, women in the Philippines earn only 78% of what their male counterparts earn.
This gap widens drastically in rural areas, where women’s earnings plummet to just 43% of men’s wages.
As United Nations Philippines points out, this discrepancy is not a reflection of ability, but rather “a symptom of a system that allows such inequality to exist.”
The UN emphasizes that achieving equality is “not a favor” granted to women, but a fundamental right that must be addressed.
These disparities are often tied to structural barriers such as occupational segregation (funneling women into lower-paid roles), the care gap (unequal distribution of unpaid domestic work, which falls disproportionately on women), and promotional biases.
Redefining work-life balance and leadership
For many women, the professional climb is hindered by the double burden of unpaid caregiving responsibilities. Without supportive policies like parental leave for both parents and accessible childcare, women are forced to limit their professional opportunities to meet domestic demands.
When companies recognize caregiving as a shared social responsibility, they can create a culture where employees can thrive without sacrificing their family commitments.
Furthermore, leadership representation remains a critical area for growth. Despite making up 41.9% of the global workforce, women only hold 32% of leadership positions in tech and media, while making up 14% of the overall science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce.
This occupational segregation keeps women overrepresented in lower-value, less-skilled, and lower-paid positions, keeping them from advancing.
While over 100 legal reforms were passed from 2019 to 2024 to reduce discrimination, the global workforce participation has stagnated below 50%.
Increasing women’s representation in leadership not only promotes equity but also improves organizational decision-making.
Culture and commitment
Education and organizational culture are equally important. Workplace training programs on gender sensitivity, unconscious bias, and diversity can help reshape how employees interact with one another. However, training alone is not sufficient if leadership does not actively reinforce inclusive values.
Managers and executives must model respectful behavior and demonstrate that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. Cultural change occurs when fairness becomes embedded in everyday practices — from hiring and performance evaluations to information interactions among colleagues.
In countries like the Philippines, where women make up a significant portion of sectors, creating safer workplaces is intimately tied to broader economic development. When women feel secure and respected in their jobs, they are more likely to remain in the workforce, invest in their skills, and contribute to innovation and productivity.
Progress towards gender equality in the workplace is neither automatic nor inevitable. It is the result of deliberate choices: policies that protect workers, leadership that values diversity, and cultures that treat dignity as non-negotiable.
By committing to these principles, organizations can create environments where women not only participate in the workforce but succeed, lead, and shape the future of work. — Krystal Anjela H. Gamboa
