International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) organized the 2019 Global South Women’s Forum on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) last April in Kuala Lumpur. Human rights activists from 12 Southeast Asian countries attended the event where they discussed the exclusion of women on SDGs and possible solutions for it.
Along with the conference, IWRAW Asia Pacific interviewed select participants, including GALANG’s Deputy Executive Director, Maroz Ramos. The video interview entitled, “Challenging Employment Discrimination in the Philippines” tackled the situation of women in the Philippines in relation to their status as part of the country’s workforce. Unequal opportunities for LBT women were identified as the main issue by comparing the situation of women and men, and by looking at the intersection of poverty and sexuality.
GALANG also shared that the lack of awareness among LBTs, especially in the urban poor communities is an issue that must be addressed. With this, GALANG will continue community organizing with the goal of empowering young LBTs to be leaders and to be their own advocates. Aside from this, GALANG educates and urges private and government employers to use existing mechanisms like CEDAW and SDGs for a more inclusive, gender-responsive, gender-neutral, and non-discriminatory work environment.
In the end, the goal is the enactment of national policies in line with the Philippines’ existing development plan that envisions gender equality and inclusivity.
You can watch the video interview here.
📷 ©@IWRAW.AP
