WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AS PERCEIVED BY REGISTERED WOMEN VOTERS IN CATANAUAN, QUEZON

This study aimed to analyze the factors affecting women's participation in politics in Catanauan, Quezon. It sought to answer the following purpose of the study, such as the factors affecting women's political participation in terms of; socio-economic, cultural, and political factors. As well as the level of participation of the respondents in terms of the election. Also, the strategies that can help to increase women's political participation. The researcher used feminist theory and structural-functionalist theory to provide the discussion. The study used descriptive survey methods that utilized in this study. In accumulating the needed data, the researcher selected 100 registered women voters from Catanauan, Quezon. The research questionnaire was distributed using various online applications to gather the required data for the study. While the data gathered were interpreted to form a conclusion for the study. Furthermore, the data collected were analyzed using descriptive and statistical measures, especially the percentage and weighted mean. Results and findings show that most respondents highly participated in the election-related activities, especially in voters’ registration. In terms of the different factors, most respondents determine that financial resources, patriarchal system, and lack of political clan serve as barriers for many women. On the other hand, respondents strongly agree that support and development programs that enhance the civic skills of women by providing assistance and training that promotes women’s engagement in political activities should be considered a strategy to increase women’s political participation.