By Sally Atento-Altea
LEGAZPI CITY, Mar 25 (PIA) –The nation has made great progress in eliminating inequality between men and women in education, but not in health, economic participation and political empowerment, according to women’s groups in Albay.
This scenario prompted the heads of the committee on health and women in Albay’s 18 municipal councils and three city councils to convene in a forum and renew their commitment to champion local laws, programs and initiatives that will elevate women’s health and their over-all well-being.
Spearheaded by the provincial government of Albay to mark Women’s Month, the forum entitled “Legislative Concerns on Women’s Health and Other Issues” also drew the leaders of Albay Inter-agency Reproductive Health Committee (IARHC), Health Action Information Network (HAIN), The Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc. and party list group Gabriela.
Spelling out its purpose, Albay board member Glenda Ong Bongao, head of the committee on women, children and family and gender and development, said the forum was to “ensure protection and promotion of Albay women’s health through execution and development of local laws in the context of the health situation of women and the implementation of RA 10354” or Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
Frances Mae Ann Bondoc – Palatino of Gabriela provided an overview of the women’s situation in the Philippines, noting that gender inequality is still rooted in the Philippine culture and is still prevalent in society be it in politics, work and various industries.
“Nearly all of the workers in the country are men with women still receiving lower compensation and with most industries, including politics still dominated by men,” she said.
Palatino said that increasing commodity prices and electric and water bills likewise affect the women particularly in meeting the needs of their families with little and limited budget.
This factor, along with poverty and unemployment, push women to go abroad wherein of the total 6,092 Filipinos leaving the country everyday to work abroad, 55% are women aged 34 years and below commonly employed as domestic worker, she said.
On the major laws affecting women and their health, Palatino underscored the low percentage of mothers receiving free maternal health care, prevalence of malnutrition among Filipino children, increasing maternal and newborn deaths and privatization of health care systems as among the gaps and impediments.
HAIN executive director Dr. Ederlina P. Dela Paz delved on the health status of Filipino women noting the urgent need for effective reproductive health legislation and programs to address rising maternal mortality rate, high rates of unsafe abortion, increasing unprotected sex among young people and significant and increasing incidence of rape.
“The existing gross inequality in the health status of the people-particularly between the developed and developing countries as well as within them is politically, socially and economically unacceptable,” Dela Paz stressed.
Board member Bongao cited the general and health status of the women in the province.
Bongao disclosed that of the total 2,363 cases of violence against women documented in Bicol by the Philippine National Police last year, 1,018 were from Albay.
An increasing number of rape cases has likewise been documented in Albay. From 61 cases in 2009, it rose to 90 in 2010; 64 in 2011; 90 in 2011 and 114 in 2013.
Bongao said this prompted the province to strengthen its programs and initiatives and intensify its information dissemination campaign to address the problem. (EAD/SAA-PIA5/Albay)
- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2571427348018/albay-presses-for-more-laws-on-women-s-health-albay-pushes-for-legislative-protection-of-women-s-health-#sthash.IxVmrlCw.dpuf
LEGAZPI CITY, Mar 25 (PIA) –The nation has made great progress in eliminating inequality between men and women in education, but not in health, economic participation and political empowerment, according to women’s groups in Albay.
This scenario prompted the heads of the committee on health and women in Albay’s 18 municipal councils and three city councils to convene in a forum and renew their commitment to champion local laws, programs and initiatives that will elevate women’s health and their over-all well-being.
Spearheaded by the provincial government of Albay to mark Women’s Month, the forum entitled “Legislative Concerns on Women’s Health and Other Issues” also drew the leaders of Albay Inter-agency Reproductive Health Committee (IARHC), Health Action Information Network (HAIN), The Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc. and party list group Gabriela.
Spelling out its purpose, Albay board member Glenda Ong Bongao, head of the committee on women, children and family and gender and development, said the forum was to “ensure protection and promotion of Albay women’s health through execution and development of local laws in the context of the health situation of women and the implementation of RA 10354” or Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
Frances Mae Ann Bondoc – Palatino of Gabriela provided an overview of the women’s situation in the Philippines, noting that gender inequality is still rooted in the Philippine culture and is still prevalent in society be it in politics, work and various industries.
“Nearly all of the workers in the country are men with women still receiving lower compensation and with most industries, including politics still dominated by men,” she said.
Palatino said that increasing commodity prices and electric and water bills likewise affect the women particularly in meeting the needs of their families with little and limited budget.
This factor, along with poverty and unemployment, push women to go abroad wherein of the total 6,092 Filipinos leaving the country everyday to work abroad, 55% are women aged 34 years and below commonly employed as domestic worker, she said.
On the major laws affecting women and their health, Palatino underscored the low percentage of mothers receiving free maternal health care, prevalence of malnutrition among Filipino children, increasing maternal and newborn deaths and privatization of health care systems as among the gaps and impediments.
HAIN executive director Dr. Ederlina P. Dela Paz delved on the health status of Filipino women noting the urgent need for effective reproductive health legislation and programs to address rising maternal mortality rate, high rates of unsafe abortion, increasing unprotected sex among young people and significant and increasing incidence of rape.
“The existing gross inequality in the health status of the people-particularly between the developed and developing countries as well as within them is politically, socially and economically unacceptable,” Dela Paz stressed.
Board member Bongao cited the general and health status of the women in the province.
Bongao disclosed that of the total 2,363 cases of violence against women documented in Bicol by the Philippine National Police last year, 1,018 were from Albay.
An increasing number of rape cases has likewise been documented in Albay. From 61 cases in 2009, it rose to 90 in 2010; 64 in 2011; 90 in 2011 and 114 in 2013.
Bongao said this prompted the province to strengthen its programs and initiatives and intensify its information dissemination campaign to address the problem. (EAD/SAA-PIA5/Albay)
- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2571427348018/albay-presses-for-more-laws-on-women-s-health-albay-pushes-for-legislative-protection-of-women-s-health-#sthash.IxVmrlCw.dpuf
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