10.3. The gender empowerment index (GEM) measures gender inequality in key areas of economic and political participation and decision making. Based on the GEM. which was also calculated by UNDP in 1994, the Philippines ranked number 35 among 94 countries. The results revealed that most countries have many more things to do to extend broad economic and political opportunities to women. Rank-wise, the Philippines overtook its four Southeast Asian neighbors (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia with GEM ranks of 47, 48 52and 59, respectively) in terms of GEM ranks.
10.4. Population census statistics gives age and gender disaggregation at the barangay level, the smallest geographic unit in the Philippines. Census data includes other socio-demographic characteristics like marital status, highest education attainment, religious affiliation, ethnic origin, migration etC. and economic characteristics like occupation, industry, class of worker, trade skills, etC. These characteristics can be cross-classified to give age and gender disaggregation for a particular category.
10.5. In the Philippines, censuses are taken every ten yearS. Hence, baseline data are available only decennially. In 1995, a special census was undertaken as a flagship project of President Ramos' administration. Printed census volumes at the provincial level gives municipality breakdown. Detailed tabulations at the barangay levels can be generated by data users using the census public use files.
Methodological Issues
10.6. Counting women's household work still remains as one of the data gaps that are to be addressed. There is a need to settle if women's unpaid work in SUbsistence agriculture, housework and family care are to be monetized in labor force and income surveys. Quantification of housework by women, if included in the national accounts, would increase the gross national outputs. If these are to be done, would the methodology used in advanced countries apply to a basically agricultural and newly industrializing country like the Philippines?
10.7. There are problems in comparability and consistency of concepts, definitions and classifications: (a) typology of economic activities-while the statistical system uses a standard occupation categories, some micro-studies on
