2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should
be able to:
1.Create a picture of the present view of
families on gender and show the ideal view
2.Promote gender awareness in the family.
3. Introduction
Even before boys and girls enter the school system,
sex role standards have been constructed in the
family, particularly through child-rearing practices.
Socialization continues in school. The gender situation
in the Philippines is characterized by sharp
contradictions.
It graphically showcases samples of women’s
advancement in politics, academic and professional
excellence, and even legislation. But this is contrasted
by images of prostituted women, battered wives, poor
women and exploited migrant workers. The socio-
cultural traditions are clashing with the MTV and
cyberspace generation.
4. The long history of colonialism has embedded a
patriarchal culture among Filipinos. The conception of
women as full-time homemakers, as subordinated to
men,
violence against them is private, as reserve labor force,
and as sexual objects is now being eroded by modern
women asserting themselves in many aspects of life.
But on the other hand, some are either marginalized,
discriminated, or even exploited by the harsh realities of
global economy and consumerism.
Both the changes and the inertia of traditions are the
backdrop of a very active and dynamic women’s
movement. The Philippines is a main player in the
international women’s arena, and this is anchored on a
very vibrant local women’s movement. Numerous
organizations and NGOs exist for the cause of gender
equality and other related women issues.
5. This puts the gender equality issues at the forefront of national
discourse and precludes further downslide of women status in
the modern Philippine society. Indeed, there are many handles
for the changes to happen. These legal and policy gains resulted
from the strong voice of women that started even during the anti-
dictatorship struggle that culminated with the ascension of
Corazon Aquino as the first woman president of the country.
Parke and Clarke-Stewart (2001) claim that children tend to
digest vast amounts of content with constructs helping fossilize
gender bias and stereotypes. This notion has in fact been
distinguished within decades of research where several studies
have foreshadowed similar concerns specifically within
storybooks (Ashton, 1983; Jennings,
6. 1
975 in Abad & Pruden, 2013;
Trepanier-Street, Romatowski &
McNair, 1990). These in act are not
only evident in texts but even in visual
symbolisms. For one, images in
children‘s picture books have long been
found to convey polarizing illustrations
of gender expectations. Male figures
are regularly depicted as ―active and
domineering, while
females are relegated to obscurity and
are portrayed as ―meek and mild.
7. Learning materials produced and consumed in the
Philippines are no exception to gender
stereotyping. Java and Parcon (2016) recently
assessed gender role depiction in textbooks commonly
used in first grade schools in the Philippines. Their
analysis ran based on Kabira and Masinjila‘s (1997 in
Java & Parcon, 2016) three- point gender role
framework which looked into productive, reproductive
and community roles. According to findings, traditional
gender roles pervaded in various content.
Gender stereotyping in Philippine
texts
8. Males gravitate towards so-called productive and
community roles whereas females are oriented
towards the reproductive. Males are subjected to a
diverse range of roles which emphasized heavy labor,
while females remain represented as docile. This is
parallel to findings by Quezada-Reyes (2000) who
argued that patriarchal attitudes are still quite
noticeable in historiography based on an analysis of
select Philippine secondary school history books. It
was added that women are barely mentioned in these
books except as national leaders who took over after
their husbands were assassinated. Men are also
predominantly depicted as the defenders, while
women are rendered as the defended.
9. Similar to what was discussed by Stephens (1992), there are certain
storybooks in the Philippines that have diverged from the customary at a
nuanced degree. This was observed by Torres-Yu (2011) who
emphasized how current realities of Filipino families with migrant parents,
whilst reinforcing gender expectations in the process, are put into
children‘s texts.
A notable template found is the overseas, widowed or single mother left
responsible to be the sole breadwinner. In some cases, these female
characters are compelled to take masculine professions; they are
nonetheless glorified for their willingness to transcend gender norms, but
at the same time for occupying the compassionate, sacrificial and
nurturing niche traditionally expected from women most especially
mothers.
10. Education Secretary Leonor Briones said there is a need to introduce a
comprehensive sexuality education policy to students to curb rising
incidences of early pregnancy, sexual violence and human-
immunodeficiency virus among young Filipinos. “The need to promptly
arrest the surge in these cases is increasingly becoming urgent. The
young generation is really at risk,” she said.
“That’s why it is imperative to enable them to develop into responsible
adolescents capable of making rational decisions based on adequate
information and better understanding of reproductive health,” she
added.
The planned integration of an age-appropriate and culture-sensitive sex
education in the basic elementary and high school curriculum will
develop responsible Filipino youth who are aware of risks and issues
involving reproductive health, according to the Department of
Education (DepEd).
11. ● Education Secretary Leonor Briones said there is a need to introduce a
comprehensive sexuality education policy to students to curb rising
incidences of early pregnancy, sexual violence and human-
immunodeficiency virus among young Filipinos. “The need to promptly
arrest the surge in these cases is increasingly becoming urgent. The young
generation is really at risk,” she said.
● “That’s why it is imperative to enable them to develop into responsible
adolescents capable of making rational decisions based on adequate
information and better understanding of reproductive health,” she added.
● Briones recently approved a department order establishing a
comprehensive sexuality education policy aimed at providing students with
appropriate life skills that can advance gender equality and empowerment,
clarify their values and attitude and reduce risks related to poor health
outcomes.
12. ● The policy is designed to ensure that the learners are receiving comprehensive and
appropriate information that can advance gender equality and empowerment. Based
on the order, the comprehensive sexuality education will have seven core topics:
human body and human development; personhood, healthy relationships; sexuality
and sexual behaviors; sexual and reproductive health; personal safety; and gender,
culture and human rights.
● A curriculum-based process of teaching and learning, CSE is anchored on
cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality that is scientific, age-
and developmentally appropriate, culturally and gender-responsive, and with rights-
based approach. Likewise, it’s implementation shall involve parents-teachers-
community associations, school officials, civil society organizations, and other
interest groups that ensure cultural acceptability, efficiency, and appropriateness of
key concepts and messages.
13. ● According to the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study conducted by the Demographic
Research and Development Foundation Inc. and the University of the Philippines Population
Institute, the proportion of youth aged 15 to 24 who had early sexual encounters increased from 23
percent in 2002 to 32 percent in 2013.
● Meanwhile, the proportion of adolescent girls who had begun childbearing has been rising rapidly
with age, from 1 percent at age 15 to 22 percent at age 19, based on the 2017 National
Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
● The 2013 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey report of the PSA identified
marriage as one of the top reasons for not attending school at 12.9 percent in a survey done among
young people 6 to 24 years old.
● Nora blamed misconceptions about sex and reproductive health that parents had failed to correct.
● “’Pag hindi alam ng isang bata na ang vagina niya o penis ay nakapaselang bahagi ng katawan,
puwede itong hawakan ng kahit sino kasi parang okay lang,” he said. “Doon nagsisimula ang abuse
at exploitation sa bata.”
