Republic Act 10801

The Philippine government, along with their partners from the civil society organizations, private institutions, and international organizations, has continuously strived to integrate gender in the migration-related legislation. This led to the recent passing of the Republic Act 10801, known as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Law (this May 2016), a new legislation promoting gender responsive migration. This law is the result of a comprehensive CEDAW-based legal review of the migration laws supported by UN Women; as well as the continued and participatory approach to advocacy, capacity building and consultation that has ensured that this new law responds to the needs of migrant workers in the national context and is owned by national stakeholders. In particular:

• The law puts great emphasis on gender.
• Services and programs provided by government should be gender-responsive, taking into consideration different impact of labour migration on men and women.
• The Law states that no OFW shall be denied access to the OWA. 
• It ensures the provision of gender-responsive reintegration programs, repatriation assistance, loan and credit assistance etc. 
• The pre-departure orientation sessions take into account the importance of UN Women's training manual on 'Gender on the move'. 

For more information:

• https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2016/05/10/republic-act-no-10801/

2016 GFMD Summit - Platform for Partnerships

National Government of the Philippines