Women prefer bets bearing ‘ayuda,’ not insults

MANILA, Philippines — Most women voters prefer candidates who have a track record of providing “ayuda,” or aid, and display a good personality by not insulting their opponents, a survey conducted by the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) found.

Angela Panagsagan, research program assistant at CWR, said they surveyed, from January to March, 506 women who are registered voters across the country.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Panagsagan said the survey showed that the top considerations of respondents were platforms, track record and personality.

“We asked them: ‘When choosing a candidate, what do you look for?’ First, they look at the platforms being presented by the candidates. They want someone who has substance, has concrete solutions to their problems,” said Panagsagan.

READ: PPCRV: Sexist remarks a ‘wake-up call’ for voting wisely

“However, an issue that respondents see with these platforms is they have no way to determine if these candidates are genuinely committed to fulfilling it,” she added.

Other considerations

Panagsagan said women voters also choose candidates based on their track record, preferring those who already have past experience in public service.

“When they see this politician coming to their communities and giving cash assistance, rice, groceries, this is a big influence on their decision on who to vote for,” she said.

Another factor is the candidates’ personality, as women voters prefer someone who is “kind,” “knows them even after the elections,” “humble and does not insult other candidates,” said Panagsagan.

In terms of their dislikes, the majority said they do not want a candidate they deem to be corrupt which, Panagsagan said, shows how corruption in government has affected public trust. Secondly, respondents also dislike candidates who do not fulfill their promises, those who are “all talk, but no action.”

But Cham Perez, the CWR executive director, noted a “disjoint” between the findings of the survey and the results of previous elections.

“Seemingly, it is very ideal that they want to see the platforms, track record and characteristics, but if you look deeper, this is just aspirational,” she said in the same briefing.

“While seemingly, women know what they want, but if you look at the political and electoral system, most of the elected officials have a record or cases of corruption, for example. So there seems to be a disjoint,” she said.