New public procurement law opens doors for Filipina women in trade

In 2021, the ITC SheTrades Outlook gathered data from 25 government institutions, business support organizations and women’s business associations to map how policies and institutions support women in business and trade.  The results of the SheTrades Outlook assessment can inform policymakers to consider the needs of both men and women.   

On 14 August, at a SheTrades Outlook Validation workshop in Manila, policymakers and representatives from women’s associations brainstormed future directions for gender-responsive policies, projects, activities, and programmes. 

Participants celebrated good practices such as collecting gender/sex-disaggregated data on exporters and providing training and business support services for women entrepreneurs. A noteworthy practice implemented by Philippine government agencies is the establishment of gender and development focal points. These dedicated individuals ensure continuity and sustainability in institutional knowledge and laws, fostering equal participation of women and men in the economy.   

In particular, the New Government Procurement Act, signed in July, institutionalizes sustainable and gender-responsive practices in public procurement. Consultations are being conducted to draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law.   

‘Our policy team is open to collaborate with the government to incorporate specific steps for gender mainstreaming in the regulations of the law,’ said Gem Arbo, Data and Policy Lead at the ITC SheTrades Initiative. ‘We also invite the Philippines to join ITC-UN Women’s global campaign on gender-responsive public procurement and inspire other countries in the ASEAN to follow suit.’   

The workshop also highlighted areas for improvement and potential technical assistance: 
1. Strengthening coordination among government agencies and private sectors that implement women’s economic empowerment programmes to harmonize data collection and ensure continuity of support  
2. Incorporating gender-responsive provisions into the IRR of the New Government Procurement Act. This includes ensuring a gender balance in the committee that awards contracts. It can also provide targeted information to women-led businesses about smaller contracts and help them prepare competitive bids to increase their participation and chances of success in public procurement. 
3. Developing robust financial services for women-led businesses, including start-up capital, equity financing, and grant programmes. A public awareness campaign will ensure that these opportunities are widely known and accessible to women entrepreneurs. 

ITC SheTrades works with governments to shape inclusive policies. So far, ITC SheTrades has supported 16 countries to develop gender-responsive trade policies. The new procurement law shows the Philippines’ commitment to gender-responsive public procurement and provides an opportunity for collaboration.  

ITC hosted the workshop in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines and supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.   

Financed by the UK Government and launched in April 2018, the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme aims to foster an enabling gender-inclusive business ecosystem by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging business support organizations, private-sector partners, and women-led businesses in the Commonwealth+ countries.  

SheTrades Outlook is ITC’s policy tool that promotes inclusive policies and data. Through 55 indicators and 6 pillars, the tool helps stakeholders assess, monitor and improve the institutional ecosystem for women’s participation in business and international trade.   
Policymakers and other stakeholders can find more details on the results and recommendations in the SheTrades Outlook Philippines policy brief, available on the online tool.   
ITC invites additional countries across the world to join SheTrades Outlook. For more information, please visit our website or contact womenandtrade@intracen.org.