Abstract
This article discusses the findings of Oxfam-commissioned research into the impact of the economic crisis on women garment workers in the Philippines. It provides policy recommendations aiming to ensure that measures put in place by the government and international bodies support the women workers who have seen their jobs lost or their working conditions worsen, and ensure that recovery measures support the goal of gender equality rather than working against this.
Acknowledgements
This article is based on research conducted for Oxfam GB Philippines by Kristina Gaerlan (team leader), Marion Cabrera and Patricia Samia, and edited by Ed L. Santoalla, economic justice policy analyst and research manager, Oxfam GB, Philippines.
Notes
1. Wet markets are where informal vendors sell fresh meat, fish and other farm produce. Compared with supermarkets or groceries, wet markets don't have refrigeration and vendors rely on blocks of ice to keep their goods from spoiling. This keeps the pavillions in which vendor stalls are situated in a state of constant ‘wetness’, hence the term.