Women groups in Negros Oriental were enjoined by Director Nerissa Garcia, of the Office of External Affairs-Office of the President to support moves for the institutionalization of the women’s desk in every barangay in the country before 2010.

A forum yesterday on local women’s rights’ and social protection held under the auspices of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Negros Oriental.

Garcia asked, “What good are the laws on women and children if they are not fully understood by people in the barangay?”

She said that the EAO has endorsed to President Gloria Arroyo a resolution of 800 barangay captains and kagawads and several people’s organizations in Manila for the institutionalization of the women’s desk in every barangay.

She said age discrimination for women workers is also one of the advocacies that the Arroyo administration would want to be achieved before 2010, and added that in other countries, a 75-year old skilled worker can still land a job, but not in the Philippines. Age discrimination resulted in the displacement of most Filipino women workers, even if they are skilled, she said.

At the forum initiated by the Department of Agrarian Reform, Provincial Board Member Mariant Villegas said, “Women before were just like furniture in the homes.”

National statistics show that more men were registered as voters, but more women actually voted with 72 percent of the total number of votes.*JG

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