Gender equality has been a long-standing issue in almost every societal aspect imaginable in different parts of the world. While the world has seen major progress over the past half-century towards gender equality, gaps remain. One is in the labour force, where these gender-based gaps affect people’s livelihood and the proper exercise of their rights and capabilities.
Although women’s labour participation increased worldwide, according to an International Labour Organization report in 2022, the gender pay gap stands at 20 percent (%) worldwide. That is to say, women earn 20% less than men do, which is equivalent to two (2) months of unpaid labor every year.
In the Philippines, women’s economic participation and opportunity in 2025 notched up to 0.790 parity (1 representing the optimal situation or “parity”) from 0.775 in 2024. Wage equality for similar work between men and women improved from 0.713 in 2024 to 0.730 in 2025.
“These gains reflect ongoing efforts to increase women’s access to decent work, support female entrepreneurs, and push for equitable pay in both the public and private sectors,” says the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).
Equal Pay Efforts in the Philippines
Magna Carta of Women (MCW, Republic Act No. 9710)
The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) is the Philippines’ affirmation of the protection and empowerment of women in the country who continue to be marginalized and discriminated against in our society.
Its Declaration of Policy (Sec. 2) states that “the State affirms the role of women in nation building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men. It shall promote empowerment of women and pursue equal opportunities for women and men and ensure equal access to resources and to development results and outcome,” and that “the State realizes that equality of men and women entails the abolition of the unequal structures and practices that perpetuate discrimination and inequality.”
Sec. 4, Chapter II defines ‘discrimination against women’ as:
(1) any gender-based distinction, exclusion, or restriction which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field;
(2) any act or omission, including by law, policy, administrative measure, or practice, that directly or indirectly excludes or restricts women in the recognition and promotion of their rights and their access to and enjoyment of opportunities, benefits, or privileges;
(3) a measure or practice of general application that fails to provide for mechanisms to offset or address sex or gender-based disadvantages or limitations of women, as a result of which women are denied or restricted in the recognition and protection of their rights and their access to and enjoyment of opportunities, benefits, or privileges; or women, more than men are shown to have suffered the greater adverse effects of those measures or practices
The MCW is a comprehensive law that aims to eliminate discrimination in all facets of society, and at the core of its implementation is the PCW, formerly called the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, which is tasked with the overall monitoring and supervision of the MCW’s implementation. It is the primary policy-making and coordinating body for women and gender equality concerns in the Philippines. (Sec. 36 & 38)
In consonance with the MCW and the PCW, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is the Gender and Development Ombud that ensures the promotion and protection of women’s human rights. (Sec. 39)
The Commission on Audit (COA) is tasked to conduct an annual audit on the use of the Gender and Development (GAD) budget to determine its judicious use and the efficiency, and effectiveness of interventions in addressing gender issues toward the realization of the objectives of the country’s commitments, plans, and policies on women empowerment, gender equality, and GAD (Sec. 36(a)).
Allowing Employment of Nightworkers (Republic Act No. 10151)
RA 10151 repealed Articles 130 and 131 of the Labor Code of the Philippines (Presidential Decree No. 442) that prohibited women from working night shifts, and established a new chapter on the employment of night workers, providing them with protections and regulations instead.
Amending Article 135 of the Labor Code (Republic Act No. 6725)
RA 6725 amended Article 135 of the Labor Code to prohibit discrimination against women employees by employers based solely on their sex. Acts such as compensating women less than their male counterparts, or favoring a male employee over a female employee with respect to promotion, training opportunities, study, and scholarship grants are considered discrimination.
Violations of these provisions are penalized under Articles 288 and 289 of the Labor Code.
New Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 6725 (DO 251-25)
Perhaps the most recent effort on the development and pursuit of the betterment of women in the labour market would be the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) order, the DO 251-25, which strengthens RA 6725 by redefining its directives on remuneration and compensation, and enhancing penalties for discrimination.
Remuneration or compensation includes the ordinary, basic, or minimum wage or salary or compensation, and any additional emoluments or benefits whatsoever by the employer to the worker and arising out of the worker’s employment.
It mandates an “equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value” without discrimination based on sex.
Complaints of gender discrimination shall undergo a clearer and more transparent process established by this new IRR. Criminal liability is penalized as provided for in Articles 303 and 304 of the Labor Code, as amended. And that cases of such nature fall under the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter, where victims can seek monetary relief for discriminatory acts.
The Philippines and the International Equal Pay Day
Such efforts to bridge the gender pay gap have led to tangible results, as the country attained the highest parity score in Eastern Asia and the Pacific in the economy sector this year.
However, gaps remain, and they highlight the urgent need to push for stronger policies, workplace reforms, and cultural shifts that ensure fair wages for all. As such, this should remind us that equal pay is not just a women’s issue but a matter of social and economic justice.
Let this year’s International Equal Pay Day serve as both a call to action and a commitment—to build a future where every worker is valued equally, and where equal work truly means equal pay.
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Author/s: Patricia Minimo
About the author: Patricia is STLAF's Legal Writer-Researcher. She is a Communication graduate from the University of the Philippines – Baguio with a major in Journalism and a minor in Speech Communication.