Topic: 2024-Unpaid Care and Domestic Work
Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Grace Hatton
The Philippines is incredibly honored to discuss the issue of unpaid care and domestic care, which disproportionately portrays women and allows for gender inequality. While we recognize that domestic work and care are essential for the well-being of our nation, we understand that these tasks are largely performed by women and their efforts mainly go unnoticed. The delegation of the Philippines remains committed to recognizing these efforts and addressing the challenges that unpaid work poses, both for society and women and to promoting gender equality in households and communities around the country, for the Philippines’ status to remain as one of the most gender-equal member states of Asia.
According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, women spend around 4.7 hours a day on domestic work, while men spend around an average of 1.2, showcasing the unequal distribution of domestic work and unpaid care between genders, and how it is particularly difficult. This is most common in poorer communities and rural areas, most likely due to the lack of access to formal education, social protective services, and labor-saving technologies. Additionally, the Philippines faces many challenges and pressures, including a rapidly growing and aging population, which increases the demand for caregiving services, and places a greater strain on women who traditionally in society are responsible for care. Without addressing this problem, women’s liberties will decrease and provide for economic and social inequalities.
We recognize the urgent need to address this issue and the inequalities and implications associated with it. The delegation of the Philippines proposes the following policy measures to help prevent it; the recognition and redistribution of unpaid care, we call for the creation of frameworks to measure unpaid in all areas of the country based on national statistics, to make sure that such work is no longer ignored in policy-making decisions and processes. We also call for legislation to be passed on paid family leave, and more social protection programs to ease the domestic work burden of women. We understand the importance of education and public awareness campaigns to inform the public about the shared responsibility of domestic work between men and women and urge the importance and implementation of it. Lastly, we believe in an investment in infrastructure and public services, to improve and increase childcare and healthcare services to decrease the strain on women. We hope other countries will collaborate with us on this incredibly important issue.
The Phillipines recognize that care and domestic work are essential for our communities to function, and yet the work done by women in this field is incredibly underappreciated. This country is committed to addressing these problems and inequalities through comprehensive policy measures that promote the recognition of unpaid care and domestic work in women, and help solve this problem. We hope other member states recognize the importance of this and work with us to stop it.
Works Cited
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care. “Unpaid Care and Domestic Work.” Oxfam.org, 2021, philippines.oxfam.org/tags/unpaid-care-and-domestic-work. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
“Care on Care Work: PH Holds Consultation on Valuing and Investing in Unpaid Care and Domestic Work | Philippine Commission on Women.” Pcw.gov.ph, 11 Oct. 2023, pcw.gov.ph/care-on-care-work-ph-holds-consultation-on-valuing-and-investing-in-unpaid-care-and-domestic-work/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
COUNTRY CASE STUDY Philippines Valuing and Investing in Unpaid Care and Domestic Work.
Philippine Statistics Authority. “Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines.” Psa.gov.ph, 2023, psa.gov.ph/.
“The Philippines’ Unpaid Care Policy Landscape: Key Findings and Insights from the Pilot Care Policy Scorecard Assessment – Oxfam Pilipinas.” Oxfam Pilipinas, 23 May 2024, oxfam.org.ph/download/the-philippines-unpaid-care-policy-landscape-key-findings-and-insights-from-the-pilot-care-policy-scorecard-assessment/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
United Nations. “United Nations in Philippines.” Philippines.un.org, 2023, philippines.un.org/en.
