Senators recognized the role of women in society’s development as they joined the celebration of International Women’s Month on Friday.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri cited women as a foundation of home and society and assured that senators would continue to push for their welfare and rights towards a “genuine and equal” future.

“Ngayong Women’s Month, kinikilala at sinasaluduhan natin ang lahat ng kanilang kontribusyon sa pagtataguyod ng pamilya at pagpapaunlad ng komunidad at ng bayan (This Women’s Month, we recognize and salute all their contributions in supporting their families and the development of their communities and the country),” Zubiri said.

Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, who joined the Philippine Commission on Women and the UN Women in the celebration in SM Aura Premier, Taguig City, emphasized the importance of empowering women by enabling them to access various government programs.

“Our learnings from the cited projects are two-way – the need to simplify procedures for government support, and for organizations to ensure they have sufficient documentation to meet the requirements. This just goes to show that we have to take into account culture, behaviors, and capacities in formulating procedures and policies to enable women to efficiently access government resources,” Legarda said.

Various women’s organizations, as well as small businesses run by women, were assisted by her office to comply with the requirements to access livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.

“We need to ensure that our gains progress into real benefits for women on the ground while considering their own resources and capacities,” Legarda said.

While attending various engagements in Cebu, Senator Pia Cayetano urged employers to take good care of their female employees.

Cayetano encouraged employers to help their female workers balance their responsibilities with work for them to flourish in whatever industry they belong to.

“My message during this Women’s Month for the benefit of women is to the people around them, their bosses, the companies that earn money and thrive because they have women workers around them. The Women’s Month is an opportunity for you to make (the) lives of women better,” she said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos recalled her mother, former first lady Imelda R. Marcos, during her time as a “certified empowered woman” who has been pushing for the rights of women.

“Bago pa naisabatas ang selebrasyon ng National Women’s month, aktibo nang ipinaglalaban at itinutulak ng aking ina na si first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos ang pagkilala sa kontribusyon at paggalang sa pantay na karapatan ng kababaihan (Even before the celebration of National Women’s Month was passed into law, my mother, first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, has been actively promoting the contribution and respect for equal rights of women),” the senator said.

She recalled that his father, the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., signed Presidential Decree 633 on Jan. 7, 1975, which established the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, the “first national women’s machinery in Asia” chaired by the former first lady.

Senator Grace Poe urged concerned government agencies to remain steadfast in creating economic opportunities for more women to find decent jobs.

“We need more women in the labor force.  They represent a formidable talent pool and an underutilized resource in the world of work,” Poe said.

Household duties, she said, are among the main causes for the smaller number of women in the labor force.

“We hail our women for priceless work they do at home.  But the opportunities should remain available for those who will decide to try to find their footing in their career,” Poe said.

Skills training and development should remain accessible to women to suit in the fast evolving industries, she said.

Government should also make available programs that encourage the adoption of flexible work arrangements to allow women to be productive while at home, she added. (PNA)

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