‘Not enough’ women running in 2019 elections, says Comelec’s Guanzon

MANILA—There are "not enough" women running for national and local positions in the 2019 polls, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Wednesday, after final records showed that barely one-fifth of 25,000 certificates of candidacies were filed by women.

Only 5,465 women are running in the 2019 polls, Comelec data showed. 

This is only 21.12 percent of the 25,872 total candidates who submitted election documents to the poll body between the October 11 to 17 filing period, official poll records showed.

Women made up 13 out of the 104 senatorial aspirants and 77 out of the 313 candidates for House membership. 

Only 9 women are vying for a gubernatorial position.

The turnout of female candidates "is very low" because the country is "still a patriarchal society where men control the economy of the family and remain as the gatekeepers of political parties," Guanzon said.

The Comelec's law department is studying a proposal to require a "women's quota" for political parties to encourage more groups to be more "gender responsive."

"Personally, I am asking the political parties to have a women's quota, field more women candidates," Guanzon said.

Candidates were also asked to sign pledges that guarantee that they will not allow their supporters to "harass female politicians, especially on social media" to encourage more women to join politics, she said.