Additional information about gender quotas

The legislation pertaining to political party finance provides financial incentives to promote parties’ support to women members though allocating a quota equal to at least 5 per cent of electoral reimbursements for initiatives fostering women’s political participation.

The Act Providing for the Election of Party-List Representatives through the Party-List System, and Appropriating Funds, therefore, provides for the principle of representation of women in party lists submitted for the parliamentary elections (Section 5).

In 1986 a constitutional quota applicable to various marginalized groups, including women, was adopted for the following three parliaments: ‘For three consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector’ (1986 Constitution, Article VI, section 5).

Currently, several legislative initiatives are being considered in the parliament with regards to the introduction of minimum 40 per cent quotas for promoting women’s participation in all areas of public life, including public service. (Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Women 2021)