Women paid less than men for same work in agri sector

Women continue to receive lower pay than men in the agriculture sector despite  efforts to give Filipino women equal labor opportunities, the country’s premier think tank said.

In a public seminar organized by the Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in celebration of the International Day of Women and National Women’s Month, senior researcher Roehlano Briones said wages of men and women showed gaps, with men receiving higher wages despite putting in the same amount of work.

On average, the study showed “men earn more in fertilizer and pesticide application, weeding and planting, while women are being paid 21 percent less.”

It also showed that wage disparities can be seen in agricultural tasks for different crops including palay, corn, coconut and sugarcane.

This ran counter to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s data showing that agricultural tasks were “paid the same rate regardless of gender,” and noted that the only probable reason for the differences in wages could be “because of difference in activities being done.”

Briones emphasized the need to increase women’s bargaining power by providing them “with preferential access to government services and transfers such as the conditional cash transfer.”

He added that women groups active in labor market information and advocacy campaigns must not be concentrated in urban areas, considering the prevalence of labor discrimination in rural areas.