Institutional Support for Enlisted Women in the Civil Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army: An Assessment of Deployment, Promotion, and Leadership Assignments as Basis for a Proposed Policy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22011394Keywords:
Institutional Support, Enlisted Women, Civil Military Operations, Gender Responsive Governance, Philippine ArmyAbstract
This study assessed the level of institutional support for enlisted women in the Civil Military Operations Regiment (CMOR), Philippine Army, focusing on deployment, promotion of female soldiers, and holding of key leadership positions, and examined the relationship between respondents’ demographic profile and their perceptions of institutional support. Using a descriptive–correlational research design, data were collected from 26 female enlisted personnel through a structured questionnaire employing a four-point Likert scale, supplemented by open ended responses for qualitative insights. Findings revealed that institutional support for enlisted women in CMOR is high to very high across all three dimensions, with deployment receiving the highest level of support, followed by promotion and holding of key positions. Respondents strongly agreed that assignments and advancement are largely merit based, competency driven, and gender neutral, reflecting alignment with competency-based management principles and gender responsive governance. However, results also indicated that subtle cultural and perceptual biases persist, particularly in relation to promotion and combat adjacent leadership roles. Correlation analysis showed that age, rank, and length of military service have significant positive relationships with perceptions of institutional support, while educational attainment did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship due to limited variability among respondents. Qualitative findings emphasized the need for family responsive deployment policies, institutionalized support systems, expanded CMO specific training, enhanced Gender and Development (GAD) awareness, consistent monitoring across units, and initiatives promoting camaraderie and well-being. The study concludes that while CMOR has established a strong foundation of institutional support for enlisted women, further policy interventions are necessary to ensure that such support is consistently experienced across all career stages. A Policy Action Plan Matrix is proposed to strengthen merit based, gender responsive institutional practices, contributing to organizational effectiveness, leadership legitimacy, and national security objectives.
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