The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has urged more women to participate in the Barangay Elections.
“It is glaringly ironic that while there are more female voters than male voters in the country, only a few women participate in elections by seeking elective posts,” said COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez.
Data from the COMELEC Education and Information Department revealed that as of January 2017, there are 29,155,415 female voters aged 18 years old to 60 years old and above, while there are only 27, 453,928 male voters on the same age bracket.
“It is high time that women to participate in the elections most especially at the Barangay level,” said Jimenez noting that “women’s participation at the Barangay level is exceedingly essential, especially since it is in the barangays that neighborhood disputes are initially mediated and resolved.”
For the 2013 Barangay Elections, of the 94, 834 candidates for Punong Barangay positions, only 17, 776 or 18.74 percent were women, Jimenez said. (COMELEC)
