GENDER EQUALITY

DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN
Adultery has its roots from when women where considered property of the men.
Ancient civilisation punished the womens marital infdelity with inhumane punishment.
Such as the Aztecs stoning to death a woman who committed marital infdelity. Romans
provide punishment for adultery of women while men were provided with legal immunity.
Jews also had a law against it. Society before gave the basis of our concept that the
extramarital afair of woman is wrong.
Philippine culture before had greatly vindicated a woman who would have
infdelities while praising or tolerating a man who would have extramarital afairs.
In foreign countries the law in adultery is much more common that Concubinage
and is the term used for the infdelity of both married parties. In America there is a no-
fault law.
There are several aspects where discrimination against women exist the general
focus of which are the economic status, access to education and health and political
participation or empowerment. Although there has been disregard to the prejudicial
conduct towards women within the civil domain with regards to social norms, traditions
and the context of family, it does not mean that these deplorable treatment does not
exist. Acknowledgement is one thing, there must be action towards
There exist a double-standard in the crimes for marital infdelity in the Philippines which
are Article 333 and Article 334.
Labels are prejudicial to women for there is a name to call the married woman and the
man she committed adultery with but the married man does not while the women he
committed adultery with is labeled as a concubine or mistress.
A mistress is defned according to the case of People v. Jesus Hilao.
The basis of the law was the societal norms of the Philippines in 1887 and our country
in the 21st century progressed to promote gender equality therefore our laws must
refect the same respect to the equality.
A law that is unjust and discriminatory, blind in the presence of incontrovertible
wrongdoing, must be amended.
The re-evaluation of obsolete articles in the Revised Penal Code led to revisions and
amendments. One such example is the inclusion of men as a a victim and ofended
party to the crime of Rape.
Certain laws really need to be amended, either they are updated to refect the issues of
the current times or they should repealed altogether , said Anette Baleda, PCW Chief
of the Policy Development and Advocacy Division.
the full and complete development of a country, the welfare of the world and the
cause of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in
all felds -UN Women
(Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women. (2009).
UN Women. Retrieved from
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm)