As the Philippines commemorates the 17th anniversary of Republic Act No. 9710, or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), on 14 August, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reaffirms its commitment to fulfilling its mandate as the country’s Gender and Development Ombud and advancing the rights of all Filipino women.
Enacted in 2009 as the domestic translation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the MCW establishes women’s rights as human rights, prohibits discrimination, recognizes substantive equality, and imposes obligations on the State to respect, protect, and fulfil women’s rights.
Seventeen years after its enactment, the challenge is to translate these guarantees into substantive equality and tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls. The Philippines has made important gains through laws strengthening protection from violence and discrimination, women’s health and well-being, and social and economic protection. These include the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, Child Marriage Prohibition Act, Expanded Maternity Leave Law, Universal Health Care Act, Safe Spaces Act, and New Age of Sexual Consent Act. [1]
Closing the gaps between legal protection and lived realities
Despite these gains, many women and girls still do not fully enjoy the rights guaranteed by law. These gaps are felt most sharply by those facing intersecting forms of discrimination, including Indigenous and Bangsamoro women, rural women, women with disabilities, women living in poverty, women in detention, migrant and domestic workers, women human rights defenders and journalists, and women and girls of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics. They continue to face barriers to justice, health care, social protection, economic opportunities, and meaningful participation.
Women and girls also continue to experience gender-based discrimination and violence at home, at work, in communities and schools, and online. Persistent concerns include underreporting, gaps in investigation and prosecution, inadequate survivor support, and barriers to protection and remedies. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence compounds these challenges through online harassment, exploitation, sextortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and other emerging forms of abuse. [2]
Addressing these gaps requires stronger laws, institutions, and frontline services. The CHR supports measures strengthening protection against violence and harassment, including amendments to relevant laws to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, strengthen accountability, and ensure appropriate remedies and support for survivors. Local service providers likewise need greater capacity to provide gender-sensitive, survivor-centered, and trauma-informed responses, while Gender and Development mechanisms need stronger institutional support. [2]
Strengthening the Gender and Development Ombud mandate
Under the MCW, the CHR, as Gender Ombud, advocates for women’s human rights, investigates complaints of discrimination and violations, monitors government compliance, and recommends measures to ensure accountability. Consistent with this mandate, the Commission supports legislative and policy measures that close protection gaps, advance the rights of marginalized women, and bring Philippine laws and policies closer to international human rights standards.
The CHR calls for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bill and the SOGIE Equality Bill, alongside stronger implementation of the Safe Spaces Act and effective local anti-discrimination mechanisms.
The Commission likewise calls for full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act to ensure that women and girls, particularly those in rural, geographically isolated, and underserved communities, have equitable access to comprehensive and non-discriminatory sexual and reproductive health information and services. [1] [2]
The Commission has also expressed support for the institution of divorce in the Philippines as an accessible legal remedy for individuals in irreparably broken marriages, particularly those experiencing violence and abuse. Such remedies are essential to protecting their dignity, safety, autonomy, and well-being. [4]
Through its Gender Ombud Policy Advisory, the CHR has likewise called for full recognition, reparation, redress, and an official apology for the Malaya Lolas, survivors of wartime sexual slavery. Their continuing struggle affirms that the passage of time does not diminish survivors’ right to truth, justice, recognition, and redress.
The CHR also continues to investigate and document violations involving women and girls and protect women human rights defenders. In 2024–2025, the Commission docketed 11,395 cases involving 13,862 victims, including women and girls. Women human rights defenders continue to face harassment, intimidation, red-tagging, surveillance, online and sexualized attacks, and other reprisals, underscoring the need for effective protection mechanisms, prompt investigation, accountability, and access to remedies. [2]
Substantive gender equality also requires addressing the structural economic inequalities women face. These include the disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work, concentration in informal and low-paid employment, unequal access to social protection, and barriers to economic opportunities. The State must strengthen care and social protection systems and expand decent work and economic opportunities, particularly for women in rural, urban poor, informal, and other marginalized communities.
As we commemorate the 17th anniversary of this landmark law, the CHR renews its commitment to investigate violations of women’s human rights, issue strategic policy advisories, monitor the State’s compliance with the Magna Carta of Women and international human rights obligations, and work with government, civil society, women’s organizations, and communities to strengthen institutional accountability.
Seventeen years after its enactment, the promise of the Magna Carta of Women must extend beyond equality guaranteed in law to equality experienced in everyday life. The Commission remains steadfast in ensuring that every woman and girl can live free from discrimination and violence, exercise autonomy, access justice and essential services, participate meaningfully in decisions that affect her, and enjoy equal opportunities to live a life of dignity.
References
[1] United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Concluding observations on the ninth periodic report of the Philippines. CEDAW/C/PHL/CO/9, 14 November 2023.
[2] Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines. Submission for the Philippines’ Follow-up to the Concluding Observations on its Ninth Periodic Report. May 2026.
[3] Philippine Commission on Women. Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda for the 20th and 21st Congress.
[4] Commission on Human Rights. Position Paper on the Divorce Bills Filed in the 19th Congress. 2022.