Abstract:
The contribution of SEZs to the Philippine economy in terms of attracting
investment, promoting export-oriented growth, and generating employment has been
strikingly clear since 1995. Locally, ecozones are majorly composed of manufacturing
industries where a larger fraction of women labor participation compared with other
industries can be observed. Despite the considerable impact of SEZs on increased
employment for women in these industries, the kind of jobs they take up has produced
negative implications for their health.
Compliance to occupational health and safety standards and access to OSH services
and compensation have been increasingly more difficult for the ecozones in the context of
rapid technological change and global economic interconnectedness. This study aims to
investigate this issue in the experiences of women employed in electronics firms located
within special economic zones in Imus, Cavite and Carmona, Cavite by inquiring into the
contextual factors that affect their occupational health and safety.
Through an explanatory case study approach, a total of 14 women currently
employed in the electronics firms were interviewed to form part of the primary data.
Government publications, organizational records, online databases, and existing literature
were collected as secondary data. Work schedules, wages, domestic demands, and
monotony of work are identified as key factors that affect the overall situation of workers
in the electronics firms. This was supported by the phenomena of occupational
downgrading and double burden revealed to be experienced by female workers.
Findings of the study suggest that forms of gender inequality continue to
characterize women’s employment in the firms as determined by discriminatory practices
that surround efforts to uphold and advance women's rights to health at work. Effective
occupational health and safety policies and programs that support, protect, and uphold
women's rights while addressing growing social inequities are essential to enhancing
women’s opportunities for decent and high-quality work.
