Tulfo promotes gender-neutral uniforms in schools
March 15, 2023
Tulfo promotes gender-neutral uniforms in schools
Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo proposed a measure allowing female students to freely wear trousers or pants in all public and private schools, at all levels, to ensure gender-neutral and flexible school uniform options for everyone.
Tulfo filed Senate Bill No. 1986 seeking to create a more inclusive and equitable educational environment for all students regardless of gender.
"In today's social climate, it is imperative that young women are given another alternative to the traditional skirted-uniform in order for them to feel comfortable and promote a gender-neutral environment," the bill's explanatory note read.
"The right of young women to wear trousers to school needs to be a given, and not a privilege that needs to be argued for in each individual case," it added.
In filing the measure in time for the celebration of National Women's Month this March, Tulfo noted that skirts for women and trousers for men have been used as identifiers to differentiate the two genders from one another for decades.
While said school uniform policy may seem harmless, it does have potential to fuel gender inequality. That's why he said uniform policies need to be developed in such a way that it encourages equity by extending gender-neutral options to students.
In doing so, Tulfo said that students and their parents are fully aware of the choices available and increase the likelihood that students will wear what they feel most comfortable in. He said that this too can boost self-esteem for girls facing body challenges.
SB No. 1896, or the "Pants for Her Act," is also in correlation with the yearly dengue outbreak in the country, considering that wearing pants is one of the easy precautions one may take to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes that spread dengue.
Over 220,000 dengue cases were reported in the Philippines in the previous year.
Additionally, wearing pants can also make riding motorcycle and other public modes of transportation easier and more comfortable for female students.
Pants para sa uniform ng mga babaeng estudyante, sinusulong ni Tulfo
Nagpanukala ng batas si Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo na nagpapahintulot sa mga babaeng mag-aaral sa pampubliko at pribadong paaralan na malayang magsuot ng pantalon upang masigurado na mayroong gender-neutral uniform para sa lahat.
Inihain ni Tulfo ang Senate Bill No. 1986 na naglalayong lumikha ng mas inklusibong kapaligiran sa paaralan para sa lahat ng mga mag-aaral anuman ang kasarian.
"In today's social climate, it is imperative that young women are given another alternative to the traditional skirted-uniform in order for them to feel comfortable and promote a gender-neutral environment," saad niya sa explanatory note.
"The right of young women to wear trousers to school needs to be a given, and not a privilege that needs to be argued for in each individual case," dagdag niya.
Sa paghahain ng SB No. 1986 kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng National Women's Month ngayong Marso, binanggit ni Tulfo na ang mga palda para sa mga babae at pantalon para sa mga lalaki ay ginamit bilang mga identifier ng dalawang kasarian.
Ang nasabing patakaran sa uniporme ng paaralan ay may potensyal na maging dahilan para magkaroon ng gender inequality.
Ang SB No. 1896, o ang "Pants for Her Act," ay may kaugnayan din sa taunang dengue outbreak sa bansa, bilang ang pagsusuot ng pantalon ay isang mabisang panlaban sa mga kagat ng lamok na sanhi ng dengue.
Mahigit 220,000 kaso ng dengue ang naiulat sa Pilipinas noong nakaraang taon.
Bukod pa rito, ang pagsusuot ng pantalon ay maaari ring makatulong para sa mga babaeng estudyante na maging komportable sa pagsakay ng motorsiklo at iba pang pampublikong sasakyan.
