The Employment Status of Women in Ilocos Sur

Abstract

Women are indispensable in the quest for development. The increased participation ofwomen in the labor force is monumental to the emerging status of Filipino women. I is appalling however, that they continue to be marginalized in the workplace. This study aimed to do"ment the status of working women in IlocosSur. Specifically, it aimed to .aetermine the profile ofwomen workers in the province, the nature oftheir work, their employment status, the traits needed inperforming their tasks and the gender-related problems that they encounter in the workplace.  The two cities of Jlocos Sur namely Vigan and Candon were selectedas the study areas. There were I8 respondents in Wigan City while there were 77 respondents in Candon City. The study used the descriptive research design. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and key  informants interview. Findings showed that women workers in Ilocos Sur are relatively young belonging to the age bracket 20-35 years, single and receiving salaries below the minimum wage law ofP 185 per day. In terms of the nature oftheir work, they are mostly employed as clerical, sales andservice workers and holdjobs which can be considered as extension oftheir role as women. They enjoy security oftenure but are required to work beyond eight hours and report even on weekends. Temporary workers however, do not enjoy benefits being enjoyed bypermanent workers such as SSS, Phil Health and other benefits. Women considerpatience, alertness and industry as the most important traits in performing their jobs efficiently. They experience discrimination in the workplace and receive lower salaries than  men, promotionfor them is slow and they have nofreedom ofexpression in the workplace. Given the abovefindings, it is therefore recommended that there should be closer monitoring of business establishments to ensure that workers enjoy the benefits provided by law. Sanctions andpenalty should also be imposed on these business establishments denying such benefits to their workers. omen workers should also organize themselves to improve their working conditions. Lastly, further research should be conducted to include other sectors where women workers are employed.