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THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has released a situation report highlighting the gendered challenges faced by solo parents in the Philippines.
The report underscores the need for urgent, rights-based interventions to ensure their protection and access to essential services.
Published on June 11, 2024 by the Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights or CGEWHR, the report delves into the complex realities of solo parenting, which is an issue that remains deeply gendered in the country.
In 2015, nearly 79 percent of solo parent-headed households were led by women – a trend reaffirmed by 2021 data, underscoring the persistent feminization of solo parenthood.
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While Republic Act (RA) No. 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act provides a comprehensive framework of support, its implementation continues to face significant gaps that hinder the full realization of solo parents’ rights.
Despite the law’s gender-neutral language, women remain disproportionately affected due to entrenched societal expectations surrounding motherhood and sexuality.
CHR found that solo mothers frequently face stigma, workplace discrimination and limited access to essential services such as healthcare, housing and education – issues often compounded by poverty, scarce employment opportunities and unclear benefit guidelines.
Access to support services under RA 11861 remains inconsistent, largely due to varying capacities of local government units, lack of standardization in issuing Solo Parent IDs, untrained personnel and low public awareness.
While solo parent organizations help fill in the gaps, many lack formal recognition and adequate resources.
In response, CHR urges national agencies to develop clearer policies, strengthen local implementation and adopt an intersectional approach that addresses the diverse needs of solo parents, including elderly, adolescent, indigenous and those from the LGBTQIA+ community.
The commission also stresses the need for sustained information and education campaigns to combat stigma, promote gender equality and raise awareness of solo parents' rights.
CHR emphasizes that addressing the gendered realities of solo parenting is crucial to the State’s commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Magna Carta of Women and other international human rights frameworks.
Upholding the dignity, rights and well-being of solo parents must be treated as a national concern and a shared responsibility.
As the country’s independent national human rights institution and Gender Ombud, CHR stands in solidarity with all solo parents in the Philippines and calls on the government and civil society to work together in building an inclusive and responsive support system that leaves no parent behind.
Access the full report: “Facing the Challenges Alone: A Situation Report on Gendered Experiences of Solo Parents in the Philippines” bit.ly/GenderedSoloParents.
