There are more women now joining the 2019 mid-term elections, data from the Commission on Election (COMELEC) showed.
Kristel May Casimiro, the specialist of the COMELEC’s Gender and Development (GAD) program, said Monday that this year’s election showed an increase of women participating actively in political activities.
In 2016, there were 8,664 women running for different political position while 36,081 were men.
“Kung makikita natin ang mga statistics ay talaga namang tumaas ang bilang ng mga kababaihan. Even in comelec, mayroon tayong dalawang commissioner, so very empowered po ‘yan,” Casimiro said during the recent Women Election Seminar
The COMELEC has two women commissioners in Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon and Socorro Intin.
Data also showed that women in Palawan are also active in political participation.
During the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, there were 773 women who won for barangay chairman and kagawad while 1,698 were men.
For the SK, 965 women ran while 1,330 men.
“Sa ngayon marami naman talagang kababaihan na nagpa-participate sa elections but still a work in progress kailangan pa rin pagpatuloy ang advocacy dahil medyo malaki pa rin ang gap, so we are trying na kahit mapantayan lang ang dami ng lalaki,” she pointed out.
Casimiro said that under the Magna Carta of Women includes the right to political participation and representation.
“Kailangan namin ma- incorporate ang gender development and women empowerment dahil may mandate din kami sa magna carta of women. Ito ang right to political participation and representation. We would like to encourage women to participate in election at para na rin maiangat ang estado ng ating mga kababaihan,” Casimiro said.
