1. R.A. 9710
14 August 2009
Recognizing and protecting women’s rights,
and banning discrimination against women

2. 7 years in the making; legislative debates started
in 2002 (12th Congress)
August 14, 2009 signed into law
Took effect on September 15, 2009
IRR adopted by PCW Commissioner March 30,
2010
Sen. Jamby Madrigal, chairperson of the Senate
Committee on Youth, Women and Family Relationsprincipal author
Sen. Pia Cayetano - principal sponsor

3. THE SIGNING OF MAGNA
CARTA OF WOMEN
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4. 
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National Government Agencies
Government bodies, instrumentalities, including
Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations
Local Government Units
Private and State Universities and Colleges
Private and Public Schools
Equivalent units in the autonomous regions
Private entities
4

5. It is a Comprehensive Women’s
Human Rights law that seeks to
eliminate discrimination against
women by Recognizing,
Protecting, Fulfilling and
Promoting the Rights of Filipino
Women, especially those in the
Marginalized Sectors.

6.  Urban
Poor
Indigenous People
 Children
Women
 Senior Citizens
Solo Parents
 Moro (Islamic Faith) Migrant Workers
 Person with Disabilities
 Fisherfolk, Small Farmers and Rural
Workers
 Workers in the Formal Economy
 Workers in the Informal Economy

7.  Any
Gender-based distinction, , exclusion or
restriction which has the effect of impairing
the recognition, enjoyment exercise by
women with freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural, civil and other
field
 Any act of omission that directly restricts
women on their rights and access to
opportunities , benefits and privileges
 Discrimination compounded with their status
and condition such as ethnicity, age, poverty
and religion

8. 1. PROTECTION FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE,
INCLUDING THOSE COMMITTED BY THE STATE
 Incremental
at least 50-50 ratio of men and
women in the recruitment and training of
women in the Police Force, Forensics, Medico
Legal, Legal/Judicial Services and Social
Work Services
 Security in situation of emergency, armed
conflict and militarization

9. 1. PROTECTION FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE,
INCLUDING THOSE COMMITTED BY THE STATE
 All
government personnel, LCEs, Appointing
Authorities and Executive Managerial
positions involved in the protection and
defense of Women shall regularly undergo
the mandatory training on Gender and
Human Rights
 All Barangays shall establish a VAW Desk and
VAW programs and services shall be ensured
at all times

10. 2. PROTECTION SECURITY IN TIMES OF
DISASTER, CALAMITIES AND OTHER CRISIS
SITUATIONS
 The
National, Regional and Local Disaster
Coordinating Councils shall ensure the
participation women in the development
of a gender-responsive disaster
management

11. 2. PROTECTION SECURITY IN TIMES OF
DISASTER, CALAMITIES AND OTHER CRISIS
SITUATIONS
 During
disaster, calamities and crises,
LGUs and concerned agencies shall
develop and implement a genderresponsive and rights-based work and
financial plan (MISP, sexual violence,
safety in evacuation centers)

12. 3. PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION
 Capacitate
women employees to
strengthen their qualifications and
performance for third level positions
 Increase participation of women of at
least 40% membership to all development
councils
 Representation of women or women’s
group in policy and decision making
bodies in the international, national and
local bodies

13. 3. EQUAL TREATMENT BEFORE THE LAW
 Repeal
or amend the existing laws that
are discriminatory to women
Family Code:
Art 14- Giving preference to the father’s
consent to the marriage of
children between 18 and 21

14. 3. EQUAL TREATMENT BEFORE THE LAW
Family Code:
Art 96 – Giving preference to the
husband’s decision on the
administration of conjugal
properties
Art 211- Giving preference to the
husband’s decision over the
persons of their common
children

15. 3. EQUAL TREATMENT BEFORE THE LAW
Family Code:
Art 225– Giving preference to the
husband’s decision on the
exercise of legal guardianship
over the property of
unemancipated common child
Art 55 – Repeated physical abuse and
grossly abusive conduct as
ground for legal separation

16. 3. EQUAL TREATMENT BEFORE THE LAW
Revised Penal Code:
Art 333– On Adultery and Concubinage
Art 220– On the definition of vagrants
and prostitutions
Art 351- On Premature marriages
Art 247- On Death inflicted under
exceptional circumstances

17. Did you know that…
The Revised Penal Code gives different grounds for adultery and
concubinage – an offense referred to in the Family Code as
sexual infidelity.
For the wife, sexual infidelity means one act of sexual intercourse
with other men.
For the husband, it is sexual intercourse under
scandalous circumstances, keeping another woman in the
conjugal abode or cohabitation with her in another dwelling.
The strict definition of adultery for the wife is indeed to prevent
the introduction into the family of spurious heirs and in the
process, protect the economic interests of the husband. The law
on concubinage, on the other hand, appears intended to allow the
husband’s flagrant but prudent playing around.
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18. 3. EQUAL TREATMENT BEFORE THE LAW
 LGUs
shall review existing ordinances and
policies, repeal or amend them
accordingly
 Nothing
in this section shall preclude the
recommendation for the passage of new
laws

19. 4. EQUAL ACCESS AND ELIMINATION OF
DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION,
SCHOLARSHIP & TRAINING
 For
DepEd, CHED and TESDA to develop
and promote gender-sensitive curriculum,
instructional materials, capacity building
for faculty and personnel
 Enrollment
of women in non-traditional
skills training in vocational and tertiary
levels shall be encourage

20. 4. EQUAL ACCESS AND ELIMINATION OF
DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION,
SCHOLARSHIP & TRAINING
 Expulsion
and non-readmission of women
faculty and student due to pregnancy
outside of marriage shall be outlawed
 Pregnant
students shall be assisted while
in school of available support services and
counseling to ensure completion of their
studies

21. 5. WOMEN IN SPORTS
 Train
more female coaches for girls and
women’s teams
 Conduct activities such as sports clinics
and seminars for potential female
leaders, coaches and teachers at least
once a year
 Provide equal incentives and awards for
both men and women for any competition
 Provide sufficient funds and equal
opportunities for women athletes and
coaches

22. 6. WOMEN IN MILITARY, POLICE & OTHER
SIMILAR SERVICES

Grant same privileges and opportunities on pay
increases, benefits, awards and remunerations

Equal consideration in the area of filed
assignment, functions and peacekeeping duties
where women can exercise and develop their full
potentials

Consideration on women’s physical and biological
built in physical fitness tests as requirements for
entry, promotion or schooling

23. 6. WOMEN IN MILITARY, POLICE & OTHER
SIMILAR SERVICES
 Accord
women and men the same
capacity to act and enter into contracts,
including marriage, except for such
positions where a marriage ban for
specific period of time is required for
both men and women
 Provide
the benefits under existing laws
such as maternity leaves, solo parent
privileges and leaves due to gynecological
disorders

24. 6. WOMEN IN MILITARY, POLICE & OTHER
SIMILAR SERVICES
 Ensure
the rights of women in the military
and police to decent and separate
facilities and personal protective
equipment to ensure their safety
 Establish
a child-care facility,
breastfeeding room for military, police
and other women employees

25. 6. WOMEN IN MILITARY, POLICE & OTHER
SIMILAR SERVICES
 Increase
the quota to 20% for female to
PMA, OCS, PNPA, PPSC
 Concerned
agencies shall support women
in the military in training and
peacekeeping operations

26. 7. NON-DISCRIMINATORY AND NON-DEROGATORY
PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN MEDIA AND FILM
 The
dignity of women and their roles and
contributions in all spheres of private and
public life shall be promoted
 OPS shall provide over-all direction,
guidance and monitoring as lead agency
of government mass media
 Enhancement of programming, production
and image-making that present women’s
needs, issues and concern

27. 7. NON-DISCRIMINATORY AND NON-DEROGATORY
PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN MEDIA AND FILM
 Allocation
of space, airtime and resources
for the airing of advertisements that
promote women’s human rights
 Ensuring that in all school of journalism,
information and communication and
national media federation and
association, the gender equality are
integrated in the human resource
development

28. 7. NON-DISCRIMINATORY AND NON-DEROGATORY
PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN MEDIA AND FILM
 Self
–regulatory for media, television,
cable, film and advertising shall also
ensure compliance with the Act.
 Creation
of Local Media Board (LMB) in all
LGUs to monitor the implementation shall
be encourage to monitor the
implementation.

29. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Access
to Comprehensive Health Program
- Maternal Care (pre-natal, delivery and
post-natal, infant health and nutrition)
- Promotion of Breastfeeding and Proper
Nutrition for lactating mothers
- Responsible, ethical, legal, safe and
effective family planning

30. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Access
to Comprehensive Health Program
- Family and State collaboration in youth
sexuality education and health services
without prejudice to the duty of parent
to educate their children
- Prevention and Management of Sexually
Transmitted Infections (STI), Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

31. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Access
to Comprehensive Health Program
- Prevention and management of reproductive
tract cancers and other gynecological
conditions and disorders
- In case of VAWC victims, comprehensive health
services shall be provided (psychosocial,
therapeutic, medical and legal interventions)
- Care of elderly women
- Management, treatment and intervention of
mental health problems of women and girls

32. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
DOH
- Review/revise existing health programs,
projects and develop plans and guidelines
- Formulate education and advocacy strategies
- Establish coordination mechanisms with other
stakeholders and concerned agencies to reduce
maternal mortality
- Institutionalize a sex-disaggregated databank
on health related concerns
- Monitor/evaluate health and nutrition programs

33. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
DepEd
- Provide functional girl-child and adolescent
health services in every school
Philhealth
- Shall include maternal care and women’s
health services in its benefit packages

34. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
DOLE
- Shall require workplaces to provide facilities
such as breastfeeding areas, toilets, dressing
room and seats appropriate for women
employees without compromising their
efficiency.
ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
- Shall review all existing programs and
development plans and guidelines on health
services, nutrition, mental health for women

35. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
LGUs
- Shall promulgate and implement genderresponsive local ordinances that promote the
comprehensive health of girls, adolescents,
women and elderly women, such as GAD Code
and Reproductive Health Code
- Formulate Human Resource Development Plan
that will ensure the ff:
a. Sufficient number of skilled health
professionals to attend all deliveries

36. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
LGUs
b. Availability of qualified and capable health
service providers
- Develop and allocate budget for health
programs
- Monitor the progress of program
implementation
- Enhance Parent Effectiveness Services and
Programs to include continuing education on
gender based violence (VAWC, Rape, Incest,
Prostitution, trafficking) in every barangay

37. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of Agencies:
LGUs
- Coordinate with DOH on the provision of health
services
- Strengthen the Local Health Board
- Develop/design an award system to encourage
excellent performance on women’s health
programs
- Organize communities/dialogues with the
private sector to implement health programs
for women and girls

38. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH
 Roles
of NGOs
- Encourage to strengthen advocacy,
participation and assist the LGUs on the
implementation of health programs
 Comprehensive Health Information and
Education
- Sexuality education in public and private
schools
- Sexuality education for parents to enhance
communication with their children

39. 8. WOMEN’S RIGHT TO HEALTH

Comprehensive Health Information and
Education
- Trainings for health service providers
- Teen centers for health and sexuality education
and counseling

40. 9. SPECIAL LEAVE BENEFITS FOR WOMEN
 Any female employee in the public and private
sector regardless of age and civil status shall be
entitled to a special leave of two (2) months
with full pay based on her gross monthly
compensation due to surgery caused by
gynecological disorders with ff conditions:
- She has rendered at least six (6) months
continuous employment service
- In the event of an extended leave, she may use
her earned leave credits
- This special leave shall be non-cumulative and
non-convertible to cash

41. 10. EQUAL RIGHTS IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONS
 The DSWD, DOH and POPCOM shall set standards
and develop gender-fair modules on marriage,
family relations, parent effectiveness
 The LGUs shall:
- Provide trainings and seminars on the
popularization of rights and obligations of
spouses towards each other, to impede the
stereotyping of roles, multiple burden and
subordination of women

42. 10. EQUAL RIGHTS IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONS
 The LGUs shall:
- Pre-marriage counseling program
- Advocacy on the moral obligation and
responsibility in assuring the rights and wellbeing of their children, including number and
spacing of children
- Include in the trainings and seminars in brgys
the Family Code

43. 10. EQUAL RIGHTS IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONS

The Supreme Court, DOJ, IBP and lawyers shall
ensure that gender equality and women’s
empowerment agenda are mainstreamed and
integrated in the regular Mandatory Continuing
Legal Education courses conducted for legal
practitioners

44. 1.
2.
3.
4.
Food Security and Productive Resources
Right to Housing
Right to Decent Work
Right to Livelihood, Credit, Capital and
Technology
5. Right to Education and Training
6. Right to Representation and Participation
7. Right to Information
8. Social Protection

45. 9. Recognition and Preservation of Cultural Identity
and Integrity
10.Peace and Development
11.Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances
(WEDC)
12.Services and Interventions for WEDC
13.Protection for Girl Children
14.Protection of Senior Citizens

46. 
Gender Mainstreaming as Strategy for
Implementing the Magna Carta of Women
I
Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and
Evaluation
II GAD Code
III Creation/strengthening of the GAD Focal
Points
IV GAD Database

47. Executive
Committee
Local Chief Executive
members
Chair of Sanggunian
Committee on Women,
Children and Family
Chair of
Committee on
Appropriations
Representatives from:
Technical Working Group / Secretariat
members
Technical Staff from
various LGU
Departments
Technical Staff from
concerned Sanggunian
Committees
PNP
Women’s
Desk
Indigenous
Peoples
PWDs
Private
Sector
Other
NGOs

48.  The
CHR shall recommend to the
CSC
DILG
Sandiganbayan
Office of the Ombudsman
the sanctions either administrative or
disciplinary for individuals who fail to
comply with and implement the Act,
including non-compliance to the GAD Budget
Policy.

49. END OF PRESENTATION
THANK YOU…..