M PRA
Munich Personal RePEc Archive
Women’s representation in local politics:
Evidence from The Philippines
Jordan Valente and Frede Moreno
National Food Authority, Philippines, Alliance for International
Education, Germany
8. August 2014
Online at http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/57903/
MPRA Paper No. 57903, posted 15. August 2014 11:01 UTC
Women’s representation in local politics:
Evidence from The Philippines
Jordan L. Valente
National Food Authority, Philippines
Frede G. Moreno
Alliance for International Education, Germany
Abstract
Although at the beginning of the 21st century, over 95 percent of all countries in the world
have granted women the right to vote and the right to stand for election (Ballington & Karam, 2005),
gender equality in terms of representation in political structures remains to be a challenge around the
world. This study seeks to determine the level of political representation of women at the level of the
smallest unit of Philippine government—the village or barangay. Data comparison—within a span of
11 years—using the results of the July 15, 2002 and October 28, 2013 barangay elections, shows an
increase of women’s representation in the 98 barangays of Zamboanga City, Philippines. After the
2013 barangay elections, the total number of female Barangay Captains increased to 14 compared to 8
in the 2002 election results. A total of 159 female Barangay Councilors were also elected in 2013, an
increase of 14 percent compared to the 139 female councilors who won in the 2002 elections. The
increasing number of elected female barangay officials in 2013 reached 173 women (22 percent)
compared to 147 (19 percent) in 2002. In year 2013, a total of 147 women (18.75 percent) were
elected as barangay officials out of 784 barangay positions throughout the city. The study concludes
that women’s participation in politics at the barangay level is directly and inversely proportional to
the representation of men in the same political structures. While existing laws and pertinent public
policies promoting women’s equal representation with men in local politics and the efforts to improve the
political landscape for women around the world, still the political structures, even at the smallest unit of
the government, is a male-dominated arena.
1
INTRODUCTION
Gender equality in political participation is a fundamental aspect of modern democratic
governance (Ukrainian Women’s Fund [UWF], 2011). Under international standards, men and
women have an equal right to participate fully in all aspects of the political process (United
Nations, 2005). Although at the beginning of the 21st century, over 95% of all countries in the
world have granted women the two most fundamental democratic rights: the right to vote and the
right to stand for election (Ballington & Karam, 2005), gender equality in terms of representation
in political structures remains to be a challenge.
The extent of women’s participation in politics and women’s access to decision-making
can be seen as the key indicators of gender equality in a society. Gender equality in decision-
making is to be viewed in the context of whether women are in the position to make or influence
public decisions on the same footing as men (UWF, 2011). However, women have to overcome
a lot of obstacles to create an impact in politics as leadership is still viewed as a male strength.
Social definitions of role still pervade the society with women are pictured as supportive
of the “leader-husband” and whose main tasks are to entertain constituents (socialization and
diplomacy) and provide charity work (social welfare or even dole-outs). The double-burden
challenge also contributes to the “glass ceiling “in politics. Wives are supposed to take care of
the next generations of the political family. The “old boys” nature of political relations and
transactions also put the role of women in the margins. This reduces the access to resources and
decision-making thus diminishes their political clout (Hega, 2003). Tackling governance,
leadership and political participation from a gender transforming perspective involves
considering women as responsible individuals, capable of taking decisions and indispensable for
their societies democratization processes (Labani, Kaehler & Ruiz, 2009).
Previous studies on the political participation of women are focused at a national or
international level. It all revealed, at a wider scale, that women are underrepresented in various
electoral positions around the world. Hence, this paper seeks to determine whether the same
trend is being experienced in the smallest unit of Philippine government— the village or
barangay.
2
Research Objectives
The specific objectives of this study are the following:
1. To examine the level of women’s political participation in Zamboanga City barangays in
terms of women’s political representation;
2. To analyze the existing policies in the Philippines which promote women's leadership and
political participation; and
3. To analyze how these policies impact the level of women’s political representation in
Zamboanga City barangays.
Significance of the Study
Gender equality means equality between women and men in all aspects of life including
political opportunity (Smee & Woodroffe, 2013). In elected office, gender equality has also
become a commitment of national governments and international organizations around the globe
motivated by arguments that women’s inclusion is crucial to achieve justice, promote women’s
interests and make use of women’s resources for the good of society (Krooke & Norris, 2014).
While there were studies made tackling this subject matter specifically focused on women’s
political participation, there were few or none which gave attention to the political participation
of women in the barangay.
This study is significant as it seeks to determine whether gender equality in terms of
political representation of women is experienced in Zamboanga City barangays. Moreover, the
significance of this study also derives not only from its ability to determine the level of political
participation of women in Zamboanga City barangays in terms of women’s political
representation but also its examination of the existing policies which promote women’s political
representation.
UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet (2011) stressed that it is so important
to actively promote women's political participation, including through affirmative measures, as
appropriate. The data gathered from this study is hoped to lead to new affirmative policies that
will help enhance gender mainstreaming and equal participation in barangay political structures.
3
Conceptual Framework
This study uses the policy feedback model (see Figure 1) of McDonagh (2010) which
explains how state policies affect political attitudes, civic engagement, and women’s political
representation as electoral outcomes. Public policies can either be maternal public policies or
democratic public policies. These policies have interpretative effects that show people who
belongs to society, what traits are associated with the state itself, and who is suitable to be a
political leader. Policies also have resource effects that provide people with the time, information,
and material to increase their civic capacity to participate in the political process, as in voting.
Figure 1. Policy feedback for mass public: How policy affects political attitudes, civic
engagement, and electoral outcomes. Source: “It takes a state: A policy feedback
model of women's political representation” by E. McDonagh, 2010, Perspectives
on Politics, 8(1), pp 69-91, © American Political Science Association 2010.
Democratic policies are those affirming women’s sameness with men such as the right to
vote in spite of one’s sex. These policies have an interpretative effect on public attitudes by
teaching voters that women’s equality with men signifies that women are as suitable as men to be
political leaders in the public sphere of the state. Such policies also have resource effects that
promote civic capacities to participate in political processes, such as voting, by expanding the
electorate. Thus, liberal democracies founded on a principle of individual equality, or sameness,
foster women’s political representation.
4
Maternal policies, on the other hand, represent women’s group difference from men.
Examples of these policies are welfare provisions and gender quotas. Welfare provisions are
attributed to women since it is a traditional task of women within the home, as wife, mother,
daughter, sister, aunt, or grandmother to care for children, husbands, the elderly, the ill, the
disabled, and those who in other ways need assistance. A country that adopts welfare provision
teaches voters that to have maternalist attributes, as women are assumed to have, indicates a
location in the public sphere of the state itself. The interpretative impact primes voters to view
women as more suitable as political leaders, and the resource effects of welfare provision
increase civic capacities to engage in political processes. Hence, a democracy that affirms
individual equality as well as women’s maternal group difference by adopting welfare provision
will promote more favorable attitudes about the suitability of women as political leaders and
women’s election to political office. Gender quotas are a gendered political structure that
directly connects political rule in the state in the form of access to national legislatures with
women in distinction to men which signify that the political meaning of women’s female sex
classification is to be located inside the state thereby, increasing women’s representation in
political structures.
The course of this study will commence in gathering data that will establish the level of
women’s participation in terms of political representation. The data will determine whether there
is an increase or decrease of the political representation of women in Zamboanga City barangays.
Once this has been established, the study will proceed in examining the existing policies in the
country which promotes women’s leadership and political participation. By doing so, the
researcher can relate how these policies impact the level of women’s political representation.
5
Review of Related Literature
The following literature tackles the definition of political participation as well previous
studies specifically focused on women’s political participation. The next section is an overview
of the present scenario of women’s representation in political structures in the Philippines and
particularly in Zamboanga City where this study is carried out.
Defining Political Participation: According to Rai (2013), political participation can be
described as any voluntary act with the purpose to influence elections or public policy. It can be
in the form of casting a vote or running for office, and has always been taken as an essential
indicator to measure empowerment in the political process. This concept can be linked with
having control and gaining further control in decision making bodies as well as in family and
society.
Women’s Political Participation: Numerous studies specifically pertaining to women’s
political participation has been made. Fox and Lawless (2010) provided the first thorough
analysis of how gender affects women and men’s efficacy to run for office in their paper
Gendered Perceptions and Political Candidacies: A Central Barrier to Women’s Equality in
Electoral Politics which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science
Association (APSA) in 2010. Their findings reveal that, despite comparable credentials,
backgrounds, and experiences, accomplished women are substantially less likely than similarly
situated men to perceive themselves as qualified to seek office. Herrick, R., Mendez, J., Thomas,
S. and Wilkerson, A. (2012) in their paper Gender and Perceptions of Candidate Competency
even found a gender gap in evaluations of competence and maturity by merely looking at the
faces of political candidates revealing that people are more likely to prefer men candidates than
women candidates. In the paper It Takes a State: A Policy Feedback Model of Women's Political
Representation, McDonagh (2010) argued that the state's public policies constitute a political
environment that has an impact on public attitudes about women's suitability as political leaders
and women’s election to political office. Therefore, what promotes women’s political
representation is a state that combines democratic policies affirming women’s sameness with
men and maternalist policies representing women’s group difference from men.
A joint publication of the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) and
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
entitled Opportunities and Challenges of Women's Political Participation in India: A Synthesis
of Research Findings from Select Districts in India authored by Bhatla, N., Walia, S., Khanna,
T., & Verma, R. (2012) concluded that women in local governments face a number of barriers
such as low literacy, poor preparatory training, a high household work burden and negative
attitudes towards women in public office that constrain their ability to fulfill their governance
6
roles or that make them unlikely to re-contest. On the other hand, True, Niner, Parashar &
George (2012) examined the patterns of women’s political participation in the four sub-regions
(Eastern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, South Asia and the Pacific Islands) of the Asia-Pacific
region and analyzed the key enablers and obstacles to women’s equal participation in formal
politics (legislative institutions) and public life. The study revealed that high status for women
has been claimed in South Eastern Asian societies, yet relative gender disparity and low levels
of women’s political representation compared with the rest of the world is pronounced.
Meanwhile, Labani, et al. (2009), explored the situation regarding women’s political
participation in South- East Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, East Timor and Vietnam) analyzing the limiting factors that are barriers
to the access and permanent presence of women in power structures and decision-making
positions, as well as the empowerment factors.
Current Status of Women’s Political Participation in the Philippines and Zamboanga
City: Although the Philippines appears to be ahead of its neighboring countries by having two
women presidents in its history, major hurdles are still in place for women to gain a firmer
foothold in politics. It is still basically an elite-male dominated political landscape. While there is
a perceptible increase in the number of women elected into government posts, assumption to
institutional leadership does not necessarily translate into the expected degree of political clout.
The question of resources also affects women’s access to decision-making positions since women
and men do not enjoy the same access to resources that yields power. The lack of economic power,
similarly, deprives women of their rights and opportunities (Hega, 2003). Balili-Gener and
Urbiztondo (2002) presented two challenges in terms of future directions of women’s political
participation in the Philippines: first, is creating a conducive environment that promotes the role
of women in politics; and second, is strengthening political organizing towards women’s political
participation and empowerment.
At the start of the 15th Congress, there were 3 female senators and 65 women
representatives. In the 16th Congress following the 2013 national and local election, the Senate
and House of Representatives saw an increase of their women members. The Senate was
occupied by six female senators or 25% of the total 24 senatorial seats and the House of
Representatives with 289 seats was comprised of 78 or 27% female members including
Zamboanga City-District II Congresswoman Lilia Macrohon-Nuño. Moreover, Maria Isabelle
Climaco-Salazar assumed office as the City Mayor becoming the second female mayor in
Zamboanga City’s history. However, only two female councilors were elected to the City
Council which translates to 12.5% of the total 16 seats divided equally into two congressional
districts.
7
Zamboanga City is composed of 98 barangays― 37 of which belong to District I and 61
to District II. The Local Government Code of the Philippines (1991) defines the Barangay as the
basic political unit which serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government
policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the
collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes
may be amicably settled. Each Barangay has a Punong Barangay and seven (7) Sangguniang
Barangay members.
8
METHODOLOGY
Data Gathering
To examine the current levels of women’s political participation in Zamboanga City
barangays, the barangay election results for 2013 and 2002 were obtained from the Office of the
City Elections Officer. The election results from the barangay election which were conducted 11
years apart were gathered to establish a comparison of women’s numerical representation. From
the data, the number of elected women as Punong Barangay and Barangay Kagawad in all 98
barangays in Zamboanga City was determined.
Data of the existing policies in the Philippines which promotes women’s leadership and
political participation were obtained from various references and resources which document such
policies.
Data Analysis
To analyze the data from the election results, statistical measures and mathematical
operations such as summations and percentages were performed and presented in the form of
figures through Microsoft Office Excel. On the other hand, the policies which promote women’s
leadership and political participation were also analyzed using the Policy Feedback Model by
McDonagh (2010).
Limitations
This study limits itself on women’s political participation in Zamboanga City barangays
only in terms of the number of women elected to barangay electoral positions (i.e. Punong
Barangay, Barangay Kagawad) based on the results of the election conducted in 2002 and 2013.
Moreover, this study only tackles those policies which specifically promote women’s leadership
and political participation in the Philippines.
9
RESULTS
Zamboanga City is composed of 98 barangays which means in every barangay election, 98
Punong Barangay and 686 Barangay Kagawad positions are contested which makes a total of 784.
In the 2002 barangay election which was conducted on July 15, 2002, only 8 women were elected
as Punong Barangay and only 139 women were elected as Barangay Kagawad compared to 547
men as shown in Figure 2. A total of 147 females or 18.75% were elected as barangay officials out
of 784 barangay positions throughout Zamboanga City (see Figure 3).
Figure 2. Number of male and female elected as Punong Barangay and Barangay
Kagawad in the 2002 barangay election in Zamboanga City.
10
Figure 3. Total percentage of male and female in Zamboanga City barangay
political structures based on the 2002 barangay election results.
The most recent nationwide barangay election was conducted on October 28, 2013 but the
Commission on Elections decided to move the elections in Zamboanga City to November 25, 2013
as the city was still recovering from the effects of the Zamboanga City Crisis and of massive floods.
As shown in Figure 4, only 14 women were elected as Punong Barangay and only 159 women were
elected as Barangay Kagawad compared to 527 men. A total of 173 or 22.07% were elected as
barangay officials out of 784 barangay positions throughout Zamboanga City (see Figure 5). The
number of women elected as barangay officials in both 2002 and 2013 barangay election is
summarized in Figure 6.
11
Figure 4. Number of male and female elected as Punong Barangay and Barangay
Kagawad in the 2013 barangay election in Zamboanga City.
Figure 5. Total percentage of male and female in Zamboanga City barangay
political structures based on the 2013 barangay election results.
12
Figure 6. The number of female and male elected as barangay officials in 2002 and 2013.
Philippine Policies Promoting Women's Political Participation
The Philippine Women's Suffrage Plebiscite in 1937 paved the way for the inclusion of a
provision in the 1935 Constitution, which extended the right of suffrage to women. Aside from
this, there are other various legislations which specifically sought to promote gender equality in
the bureaucracy including improvement of women’s participation and representation in decision-
making bodies as enumerated by Hega (2003) and Philippine Commission on Women (PCW),
the primary policy-making and coordinating body on women and gender equality concerns in
the country.
The most notable is R.A. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Woman which mandates the
government to institute affirmative action measures so that women can participate meaningfully
in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of policies, plans, and programs for national,
regional, and local development. Salient features of the law include:
• Increasing the number of women in third level positions in government to achieve a
fifty-fifty (50-50) gender balance within the next five years while the composition of
women in all levels of development planning and program implementation will be at
least 4%;
13
• Leave benefits of two (2) months with full pay based on gross monthly compensation
for women employees who undergo surgery caused by gynecological disorders,
provided that they have rendered continuous aggregate employment service of at least
six (6) months for the last twelve (12) months;
• Non-discrimination in employment in the field of military, police and other similar
services that include according the same promotional privileges and opportunities as
their men counterpart, including pay increases, additional benefits, and awards, based
on competency and quality of performance;
• Provision for equal access and elimination of discrimination in education,
scholarships, and training. Thus, "expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting enrollment,
and other related discrimination of women students and faculty due to pregnancy out
of marriage shall be outlawed;
• Non-discriminatory and non-derogatory portrayal of women in media and film to raise
the consciousness of the general public in recognizing the dignity of women and the
role and contribution of women in family, community, and the society through the
strategic use of mass media;
• Equal status given to men and women on the titling of the land and issuance of
stewardship contracts and patents.
Other policies of the government which seeks to foster women’s leadership and political
participation are as follows:
1. R.A. 7160 Local Government Code (1991) - has been amended to provide
representatives for women in all of the 1,600 local legislative assemblies (Sangguniang
Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang
Barangay) nationwide. This is consistent with the 1987 Constitution recognizing
women's vital role in nation-building.
2. R.A. 7941 Party List Law (1995) - provides that there shall be party-list representatives
and the women sector is to be allocated a seat therein (Art. VI, Sec. 5 [2]). Before the
enactment of Republic Act No. 7941, the sectoral representative for women was
appointed by the President. This law now provides for the election of party-list
representatives through the party-list system including the women sector.
14
3. R.A. 7192 Women in Development and Nation Building Act (1992) - provides
guidance and measures that will mobilize and enhance participation of women in the
development process in ways equal to that of men.
4. R.A. 7688 An Act Giving Representation to Women in the Social Security
Commission (1994) - guarantees women representation in the Social Security
Commission.
5. Labor Code (1989) - covers issues such as night work prohibition, specifies that
employers must provide special facilities for women, prohibition of discrimination
against women in respect to terms and conditions of employment, prohibition of
discrimination by reason of marriage of a woman worker.
6. R.A. 7822 (1995) An act providing assistance to women engaging in micro and cottage
business enterprises.
7. Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development (1995-2025) - the National Plan
for Women that consolidates the action commitments of the Philippines during the
Beijing World Conference on Women. This is the over-all frame that is also the point
of reference for the discussions and monitoring of gender mainstreaming.
8. Gender and Development (GAD) - aimed at “institutionalizing gender concerns in the
mainstream development process and agenda and not just peripheral programs and
projects of the government”. Concretely, it prescribes for the allocation of 5% of the
government agency’s/local government unit’s budget on gender-responsive activities
and projects. As a result, implementation of the development programs and policies of
government also means women partaking a role in governance. As primarily
stakeholders in the development process, women have the right to maximize their
involvement in governance, be it at the local or national level.
9. Framework Plan for Women (FPW) - part of the Philippine Plan for Women which
focus on three thrust namely: promoting women’s economic empowerment; advance
and protect women human rights; and promote gender responsive governance. This
plan identifies the concrete gender issues that will be addressed, pinpoint targets and
indicators, name programs, formulates the implementation plan, and set-up tools for
monitoring and evaluation.
15
The CSC also collaborated with the PCW and the Career Executive Board in implementing
three programs that aim to increase women’s capacity and skills namely:
• Career Advancement of Women in Government Services (CAPWINGS) seeks to
enhance support mechanisms, capacity building, training and other enabling
mechanisms for women employees;
• Merit Promotion Plan, which guides promotions based on merit, and has been revised
to ensure that gender biases do not obstruct recruitment and promotion and to
emphasize equal opportunities for women and men;
• Directory of Women on the Move, which provides information about qualified women
candidates for vacancies in the Cabinet and other executive positions to ensure that
appointing authorities have information and choices about qualified women for top
posts.
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ANALYSIS
Comparing the data gathered in the barangay election results for July 15, 2002 and October
28, 2013, it can be said that there is an increase of women’s representation in barangay political
structures in Zamboanga City. This improvement comes from the increase of both elected female
Punong Barangay and Barangay Kagawad. After the 2013 barangay election, female Punong
Barangay totaled to 14 compared to 8 after the 2002 election. A total of 159 female Barangay
Kagawad were elected in 2013, an increase compared to 139 in 2002. This increase of elected
female barangay officials in 2013 totaled to 173 compared to 147 in 2002 which accounts for a
3.32% increase. This also means that there is a decrease by 3.32% of men in barangay political
structures.
These results will tell us that women’s representation in Zamboanga City barangays is
evident and improving. However, the numbers also show that the same trend is experienced
throughout Zamboanga City barangays as in the national and international scenario where there
are relatively low women’s representations in political structures as they are mostly dominated by
men.
Philippine Policies Promoting Women's Political Participation
The Philippines’ constitutional and legal framework acknowledges the need for gender
mainstreaming and this is manifested in the number of policies and initiatives which are directed
to women’s empowerment. These policies can be categorized in democratic public policies or
maternal public policies (see Table 1) as McDonagh (2010) suggests in the Policy Feedback
Model. Democratic policies are those affirming women’s sameness with men while maternal
policies represent women’s group difference from men.
17
Table 1. Philippine policies promoting women’s leadership and political participation
categorized into democratic or maternal policies.
Democratic Public Policies Maternal Public Policies
Women's Suffrage provision in the R.A. 9710 Magna Carta of Woman
1935
Constitution
R.A. 9710 Magna Carta of Woman R.A. 7160 Local Government Code
R.A. 7192 Women in Development and R.A. 7941 Party List Law
Nation
Building Act
Merit Promotion Plan R.A. 7688 An Act Giving Representation to
Women in the Social Security Commission
Labor Code
R.A. 7822 An Act Providing Assistance to
Women Engaging in Micro and Cottage Business
Enterprises
Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive
Development (1995-2025)
Gender and Development (GAD)
Framework Plan for Women (FPW)
Career Advancement of Women in Government
Services (CAPWINGS)
Directory of Women on the Move
The Magna Carta of Woman (R.A. 9710) can be categorized as either democratic or
maternal public policy because it includes provisions which both affirm women’s sameness with
men and women’s group difference from men. It is democratic as it features non-discrimination
in employment that includes the same promotional privileges and opportunities; equal access and
elimination of discrimination in education, scholarships, and training; non-discriminatory and
non-derogatory portrayal of women in media and film; and equal status given to men and women
on the titling of the land and issuance of stewardship contracts and patents. On the other hand, it
can also be maternal as it features measures that set aside seats in the bureaucracy or decision-
making bodies for women such as increasing the number of women in third level positions in
government and the composition of at least 40% women in all levels of development planning
and program implementation. It also features certain provisions that are unique to women like
the leave benefits of two (2) months with full pay for employees who undergo surgery caused by
gynecological disorders.
The right of suffrage given to Filipino women as included in the 1935 Constitution served
as the precursor to emphasizing women’s sameness with men and is categorized as a democratic
18
public policy. Other policies categorized under democratic public policies are: R.A. 7192 Women
in Development and Nation Building Act (1992), and the Merit Promotion Plan. These policies
all emphasize women’s sameness with men as it advocates equal opportunities for women and
men. Moreover, these policies have an interpretative effect on public attitudes sending a message
that women’s equality with men makes women as suitable political leaders.
Philippine policies categorized under maternal public policies are those who emphasize
the difference of women to men. As mentioned earlier, policies which set aside seats in the
bureaucracy or decision-making bodies for women are considered maternal such as R.A. 7160
(Local Government Code of 1991) which was amended to provide representatives for women in
all local legislative assemblies nationwide; R.A. 7941 Party List Law (1995) which provides that
there shall be party-list representatives and the women sector is to be allocated a seat therein; and
R.A. 7688 (1994) which guarantees women representation in the Social Security Commission.
Policies which are specific or commonly attributed to women are also maternal such as certain
provisions in the Labor Code (1989) which specifies that employers must provide special facilities
for women, prohibition of discrimination against women in respect to terms and conditions of
employment, and prohibition of discrimination by reason of marriage of a woman worker; R.A.
7822 which is an act providing assistance to women engaging in micro and Cottage business
enterprises (1995); the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development (1995-2025); Gender
and Development (GAD), the Framework Plan for Women (FPW); Career Advancement of
Women in Government Services (CAPWINGS); and the Directory of Women on the Move. In
this case, the interpretative effect is that women are seen to be more suitable political leaders
because the policies are associated to women. As these policies edify the public to view women
as suitable leaders, it also have resource effects which encourage civic engagement to expand the
electorate of women political candidates thereby increasing women’s political representation.
The Impact of Public Policies to Women’s Political Participation in Zamboanga City
It is important to note that despite the relatively low level of women’s political
representation in Zamboanga City barangays which follows international and national trends,
there is still an increase of the number of women elected as barangay officials in an 11-year span
from 2002 to 2013. This increase can be attributed partly― as the study restricts itself to only
certain policies― to the different policies carried out by the government to foster women’s
leadership and political participation. These policies categorized either as democratic or maternal
public policies both have interpretative and resource effects which affect political attitudes and
civic engagement resulting to electoral outcomes in favor of women thereby increasing women’s
representation in political structures.
19
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The political participation of women in Zamboanga City barangays in terms of
representation is relatively low as political structures are still mostly dominated by men.
Nevertheless, women’s political representation in Zamboanga City barangays is increasing for the
past 11 years. This improvement can be associated with the initiatives of the government who
formulates and implements policies which promote women’s leadership and political participation
and subsequently increase women’s representation in political structures.
It is recommended that further studies regarding women’s political representation in the
barangay to include other policies of the government which may not necessarily pertain to
leadership and political participation but in one way or the other create interpretive and resource
effects that contribute to the increase of women’s representation in political structures. Future
studies can also explore women’s political participation not only in terms of representation but
also other forms of participation in the political process such as women as voters or as political
candidates.
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REFERENCES
Balili-Gener, M. K., & Urbiztondo, C. (2002). The participation of women in Philippine elections.
University of the Philippines (U.P.) Diliman Journals Online. Retrieved from
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/
Ballington, J., & Karam, A. (Ed.). (2005). Women in parliament: Beyond numbers. Stockholm,
Sweden: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Bachelet, M. (2011). Remarks on women political participation, Old Town Hall, Helsinki, Finland,
11 October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.unwomen.org/
Bhatla, N., Walia, S., Khanna, T., & Verma, R. (2012). Opportunities and challenges of women's
political participation in India: A synthesis of research findings from select districts in India.
International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) – United Nations Entity for Gender
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