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Abstract

This study was conducted from July 2018 to December 2019 to determine gender role differentiation among elected Barangay (smallest administrative division in the Philippines) officials in the 1st district of Cavite in the Philippines. We used a purposive incidental technique, focusing on 137 samples of male and female Barangay officials. The first district of Cavite Province, consisting of the city of Cavite and municipalities of Noveleta, Kawit, and Rosario, has 134 Barangays with 1,072 elected Barangay seats; of these seats, women occupied 298 (27.8%). In reproductive, productive, community managing, and leisure-related activities, both the female and male elected officials were dominant when it came to choices and decisions within their respective households. Most legislated gender policies addressed the protection and welfare of children, curbing delinquent gangs, and substance dependence and abuse. (The male elected officials dominate access, control of, and benefits from the reproductive, productive, community managing, and leisure activities in their respective household.) Men have access to and control of vehicles and house repairs while women manage finances, and care for sick children. Other household problems, needs, and constraints included waste management, noise nuisances, and teenagers' behaviors - also, (lack of proper knowledge on gender and development) also the difficulty in recalling new terminologies used during gender-related seminars. We suggest that the Barangay council attend orientation and training on the Harmonized Gender and Development Guide (HGDG) and be given materials (to) that would educate them on gender terminologies. Responsible parenting seminars would help families guide their youths; mothers would be given an important role in this program, and fathers, through all-male advocacy groups in the country like KATROPA, which would in turn strengthen family bonding.

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