ILS women employees attended a forum for women’s rights organized by the Embassy of France on 16 May, 2017 at the Century City Mall events center in Makati City.

The forum highlighted different initiatives of women supporting other women in various fields such as politics, civil society, and the academe, bringing women forward as actors of their own empowerment.

The first part of the forum dealt with the political commitment, which showcased the three profiles of women: the woman politician, who is involved in supporting and advocating women’s rights (such as Senator Risa Hontiveros); the woman activist, who fights for women’s political rights (such as Gabriela and the Center for Women’s Resources); and the feminist thinker and theorist whose work contributes to the advancement of the cause of women (such as Geneviève Fraisse, Mina Roces).

The second part also tackled the economic empowerment of women. The objective is to put forward some actions that have been undertaken to facilitate the employment of women, especially of those belonging to the marginalized sectors of the economy, and to fight against poverty.

The last part focused on the female body and the problematiques of image and identity that are linked to it. Discussed is the violence against women being one of the country’s pervasive social problems.

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment. For more information on this story, please contact the Advocacy and Publications Division at 527-3490.