Finally, the Magna Carta of Women has been signed into law last August 14, 2009. It is the Philippines' concrete action toward the implementation of CEDAW or the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in the country. CEDAW is an international human rights standards set up by the United Nations in 1989, specially designed for women. The Philippines was one of the states that first signed and ratified the convention but it was only after thirty years that our government was able to set up a major law for women which, according to the principal authors, was actually a watered down version of the original bill because of strong dissension from powerful sectors including the male-dominated Catholic Church.
The Magna Carta of Women affirms the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the substantive equality of women and men. The state shall promote the empowerment of women and pursue equal opportunities for men and women as well as ensure their equal access to resources and to development results and outcome. Further, it realizes that equality of men and women entails the abolition of the unequal structures and practices that perpetuate discrimination and inequality.
Under the Magna Carta, the state shall develop plans, policies, programs, measures and mechanisms to address discrimination and inequality in the economic, political, social and cultural life of men and women. It condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues by all appropriate means and without delay the policy of eliminating discrimination against women.
The state shall accord to women the rights, protection and opportunities available to every member of society. It affirms women's rights as human rights and shall intensify its efforts to recognize, respect, protect, fulfill and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms of women especially in the marginalized sectors of society to guarantee their economic, social and cultural well-being without distinction or discrimination on account of class, age, sex, gender, language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, education and status.
The Magna Carta authorizes the state to provide the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the realization of women's rights as well as adopt and undertake steps to include temporary special measures which encompass a wide variety of legislative, executive, administrative and other regulatory instruments, policies and practices aimed at accelerating the equal participation of women in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. The state, in ensuring the full integration of women's concerns in the mainstream of development, shall provide ample opportunities to enhance and develop their skills, acquire productive employment and contribute to their communities to the fullest of their capabilities.
In pursuance of this policy, the state recognizes the right of women in all sectors to participate in policy formulation, planning, organization, implementation, management monitoring and evaluation of all programs and projects. It shall support policies, researches, technology and training programs and other support services such as financing, production and marketing to encourage active participation of women in national development.