NEDA urges telecommuting, longer paternity leave as women’s labor participation drops

Women's declining labor participation rate in the country can be addressed by allowing them to work from home and extending their partners' paternal leave, according to a recently released study by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Key findings of the study titled "Determinants of Female Labor Force Participation in the Philippines," showed that marriage and childbearing have major effects on the employment rate of women, especially those who are 25 to 29 years old, because of patriarchal family structures.

NEDA cited the stagnant labor force participation rate of Filipino women which ranged from 49% to 50% in the past 20 years.

It noted that this figure dipped to 46% in 2018—the lowest in Southeast Asia.

The agency urged policy reforms that will enable more women to work, such as stronger enforcement of Republic Act 11165 or the Telecommuting Act will address the "desire of mothers with young children" to work from home.

"An extended paternity leave and additional parental leave will give husbands a fair share of caring for their babies," it added.

Further, to break stereotyped gender roles, NEDA recommended that the concept of gender equality should be included in children's educational learning materials and storybooks.

It also underscored the importance of helping women attain tertiary education as study results showed that this factor has a significant effect in the sector's labor force participation.

Merged data sets of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey and the Labor Survey in 2015, as well as focus group discussions, were used in the conduct of the said study. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News