SECTION 16. Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education, Scholarships, and Training – The State shall ensure that gender stereotypes and images in existing educational materials and curricula are adequately and appropriately revised. Gender-sensitive language shall be used at all times. Capacity building on gender and development (GAD), peace and human rights education for teachers, and all those involved in the education sector shall be pursued toward this end. Partnerships between and among players of the education sector, including the private sector, churches, and faith groups shall be encouraged.

Within three (3) years from the adoption of these Rules and Regulations, the DepEd, CHED and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall:

1. Develop and promote gender-sensitive curriculum:
   • In coordination with PCW, set minimum standards on gender sensitivity that will be integrated in the subjects/courses/training curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular for students and trainees;
   • Integrate the principles of gender equality in curricular offerings and pedagogical systems and strategies;
   • Ensure that public and private sector professional strategies; school counseling and career education programs are gender-responsive;
   • Adopt comprehensive gender-fair language policy; and
   • Enjoin all private and public accrediting institutions/ organizations to include gender-fair curriculum in their accreditation criteria.

2. Develop gender-fair instructional materials:
   • Review, revise and update programs, syllabi, textbooks and other instructional materials to ensure that gender biases and discrimination are eliminated;
   • Develop gender-responsive instruments for the evaluation of instructional materials and curricula, including criteria about gender concepts, values, and gender-fair language; and
   • Ensure that evaluators and personnel in-charge of instructional materials and curricula are knowledgeable on gender sensitivity, peace, human rights education, and use of gender-sensitive language.

3. Ensure that educational institutions implement a capacity building program on gender, peace and human rights education for their officials, faculty and non-teaching staff and personnel;

4. Promote partnerships between and among players of the education sector, including the private sector, churches, and faith groups in the pursuit of the objectives of this section;

5. Encourage advertising industry and other similar institutions to provide free use of space and installation of displays for schools, colleges and universities for campaigns to end discrimination and violence against women; and

6. Guarantee that educational institutions provide scholarship programs for marginalized women and girls. Conditions such as age, pregnancy, motherhood, disabilities, or lack of consent of husband shall not be grounds for disqualification in the grant of scholarships.

Enrollment of women in non-traditional skills training in vocational and tertiary levels shall be encouraged. Further:

1. The DepEd, TESDA, and CHED shall develop programs aimed at increasing the enrollment of women in non-traditional skills training in vocational and tertiary levels, and mechanisms for assessment and monitoring of compliance such as sex-disaggregated list of students, tracers of graduates and the like; and

2. Policies shall be developed to ensure that all teachers and trainers, regardless of sex, ethnicity, political, social, economic and religious status and affiliations have equal access to scholarships.

Expulsion and non-readmission of women faculty due to pregnancy outside of marriage shall be outlawed. No school shall turn out or refuse admission to a female student solely on account of her being pregnant outside of marriage during her term in school.

The DepEd, CHED and TESDA shall monitor and ensure compliance of educational institutions to the following:

1. Women faculty who become pregnant outside of marriage shall not be discriminated by reason thereof. They shall not be dismissed, separated from work, forced to go on leave, re-assigned or transferred. They shall have access to work already held with no diminution in rank, pay or status and shall be entitled to all benefits accorded by law and by the concerned learning institutions;

2. No female student shall be expelled, dismissed, suspended, refused or denied of admission, or forced to take a leave of absence in any educational institution solely on grounds of pregnancy outside marriage during her school term. When needed, students who are pregnant shall be accorded with a special leave of absence from school upon advice of the attending physician, and be given an opportunity to make up for missed classes and examinations. The same leave benefits shall likewise be accorded to pregnant faculty members, and school personnel and staff;

3. Pregnant students shall be assisted through available support services while in school, such as but not limited to counseling to ensure completion of their studies;

4. Programs and policies to prevent VAW shall be developed, including institutional mechanisms for complaints in cases of rape, sexual harassment, and other forms of violence and discrimination against women, and provide assistance to students, faculty, or personnel who have been victims of VAW; and

5. Coordination with PNP, DOJ, CHR, DSWD, and the LGU so that appropriate assistance are given to female faculty and students who are victims of rape, sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women and discrimination. 

   SECTION 21.

   Special Leave Benefits for Women A. Any female employee in the public and private sector regardless of age and civil status shall be entitled to a special leave of two (2) months with full pay based on her gross monthly compensation subject to existing laws, rules and regulations due to surgery caused by gynecological disorders under such terms and conditions: 1. She has rendered at least six (6) months continuous aggregate employment service for the last twelve (12) months prior to surgery; 2. In the event that an extended leave is necessary, the female employee may use her earned leave credits; and 3. This special leave shall be non-cumulative and nonconvertible to cash. 77 B. The CSC, in the case of the public sector including LGUs and other State agencies, and the DOLE, in the case of the private sector, shall issue further guidelines and appropriate memorandum circulars within sixty (60) days from the adoption of these Rules and Regulations to operationalize said policy, and monitor its implementation and act on any violations thereof.

    

   SECTION 27.

   Right to Education and Training A. Access to Skills Training and Retraining – Women shall be given the opportunity to benefit from skills training if they so desire before taking on job overseas, and possible retraining upon return to the country. Towards this end, the DOLE, through its attached agencies, and other concerned offices, apart from predeparture orientation seminars for overseas bound workers, shall ensure the provision of the following: 1. Training institutions in all levels shall be made accessible to migrant women irrespective of their age, ethnicity, religion, class and marital status; 2. Extensive dissemination of available training and scholarship programs for women migrant workers to facilitate access to such opportunities that will widen their career options; 3. Language skills training and culture familiarization on the country of destination as requirements for departure, including the dissemination of information on available training providers; 4. Database on returning migrant workers who would want to avail of skills development and training; and 5. Measures to prioritize returning women migrant workers in the various skills training programs of government, subject to qualification requirements. B. Gender Sensitivity Trainings and Seminars – All government and private training and learning providers shall develop 95 and implement gender sensitivity training program. In the conduct of said training program, the adoption of flexible training hours, and gender sensitive training facilities to include child-care services to accommodate women workers with work responsibilities and family obligations shall be strictly observed. C. Equal Opportunities in Scholarships – All concerned agencies and organizations shall strictly observe criteria on merit and fitness in the grant of scholarships for technical skills training and development especially in the field of research and development aimed towards women-friendly farm technology, whether in the field of agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture or other similar areas.