Women lead men among overseas Filipino voters in US

AJPRESS

CHICAGO — Women far outnumber men among registered overseas Filipino voters in the United States, according a study by the Philippine Consulate her, a possible indication of Filipino women’s increasing social consciousness and political activeness.

Since the resumption of the registration for overseas voting last December, the Consulate General of the Philippines in Chicago has, so far, registered around 2,000 Filipinos throughout the Midwest region of the United States.

Together with the 12,000 Filipinos who have registered in the past registration cycles, the new registrants will be able to take part in all upcoming national Philippine elections.

Gender classification and other key findings of the consulate’s study show the following characteristics of the registered overseas voters:

Gender

Out of the 12,684 registered overseas voters in the US, 64% are women, while only 36% are men. The report does not determine the actual cause of such disparity, as women have enjoyed numerical advantage in the Filipino American population in the 16 states under the Consulate’s jurisdiction, based on the 2010 U.S. Census Survey. However, it emphasizes that women’s voice and role in body politic, especially in electing future leaders, have indeed grown much stronger.

Status Abroad

As for overseas voters’ immigration status, 61% are lawful permanent US residents or immigrants in Those with or temporary worker status, considered OFWs, comprise 7% of the entire group.

Meanwhile, Filipinos who have naturalized in the U.S. are also given the opportunity to register to vote once they reacquire/retain their Philippine citizenship. These represent 23%, the second largest sector, which the Consulate expects to increase as more Fil-Ams avail themselves of dual citizenship while the voter’s registration continues up to 30 September 2018.

Age Groups

The biggest age group is 36-45 years old, making up around 26% of the overseas voters, closely followed by the 46-55 (18%) and 56-65 (20%) brackets. The younger 26-35 and much older 66 plus groups combined constitute 30% of the total. The youngest group of 18-25 is the smallest at 6%.

In each age group, women consistently outnumber men as registered overseas voters. Consul General D.G. Calonge, in sharing these findings with the Filipino community, renews his call for all Filipino citizens in post’s jurisdiction ages 18 and above to register to vote.

For questions on how to register to vote or other inquiries, email Sheridan Sabeniano or Kya Cupino at [email protected].