Transcript THE ROLE OF NGOS ON INTEGRATING GENDER IN RH PROGRAMS AND POLICIES:

THE ROLE OF NGOS ON
INTEGRATING GENDER IN RH
PROGRAMS AND POLICIES:
INSIGHTS FROM THE FAMILY
PLANNING ORGANIZATION OF
THE PHILIPPINES (FPOP)
ATTY. RHODORA M. ROY-RATERTA
Executive Director, FPOP
Chair 2006, Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN)
Member, NGO Sectoral Council, Phil. National Anti-Poverty Commission
FPOP: COMING FULL CIRCLE
FROM 1969 TO 2006
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Established 37 years ago to provide FP services
and engage government in various ways/leaders
took the brave stance to promote small family size
(affiliated with the International Planned
Parenthood Federation established by women with
battle cry “Brave and Angry”)
Innovated in service delivery and IEC
Enhanced advocacy initiatives/adopted rights
based approach/gender in advocacy (Charter on
Sexual and Reproductive Rights)
FPOP: COMING FULL CIRCLE
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Partnered with media, business and other
sectors
Have strong presence in networks and other
alliances including National Anti Poverty
Commission
Helping bridge gap between supply and
demand (with Quality of Care) in 25
chapters/33 clinics/outreach
Taking brave stance in all aspects of its work
(RH and the 5 A’s)
Utilizing the Law for Women’s Rights: What
Women Ask
FPOP: GENDER AND RH THRU
THE YEARS
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In the late 1990’s, incorporated
Gender Sensitivity Workshops for HR
development of program managers
and community workers
In 2000, purposively searched for a
woman Executive Director after 30
years from its establishment
In 2002, National Council approved
VAWC referral policies in clinics
FPOP: GENDER AND RH THRU
THE YEARS
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In 2004, approved amendments to By
Laws making chapter representation in
the National Council as at least 1
woman out of 2 possible
representatives
Youth Reps in National and Local
Councils/Executive Committees at
least 50% women
In 2005, created Gender Committee in
National Council
FPOP: GENDER AND RH THRU
THE YEARS
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Building community organizing
efforts/Free Choice Couples/Male
Involvement/Youth Groups
Youth/Teen Centers
Issues on religion, gender & RH studied
Quality of Care with a Gender
Perspective
Women and Children’s Alternative
Center in Surigao
FPOP: GENDER AND RH THRU
THE YEARS
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Lighting a Torch for Women’s Rights
Enhancing Media Awareness on Beijing
Platform of Action for Women
Advocacy for Legislative Measures on RH,
Magna Carta for Women, AntiDiscrimination for Women in Vulnerable
Situations
Strong lobby against delisting of
contraceptives in Bureau of Food & Drug
The Policy Environment for
Gender and RH: Problems in
Policy Making
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Public policy to rationalize and make
available reproductive health
services is wanting.
Bending to pressures from the
Church, government flip
flops/reverses on its stand on FP
No comprehensive national law on
RH
RECENT MAJOR POLICIES
IMPACTING ON GENDER, SRH and
RIGHTS: ONE STEP FORWARD TWO
STEPS BACKWARD
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Cheers! Reaffirmation by the
Government of the Philippines of its
commitment to the Program of Action
of the ICPD, Jeers – GMA Sept 2005 UN
message
Wow! Government puts in place RH as
another target for the MDGs. Pow@#*
How? With Presidential statements on
preference for NFP?
Claps! 2006 General Appropriations Bill
of HOR now includes 50 million peso
budget for modern methods of
contraception. Zapped!! 2005 budget
RECENT MAJOR POLICIES
IMPACTING ON GENDER,SRH and
RIGHTS: ONE STEP FORWARD
TWO STEPS BACKWARD
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Good? Approval of
Administrative Order 158
of the Department of
Health on Contraceptive
Self-Reliance (CSR) due to
USAID phasedown. Worst
nightmare - stockouts
Gap in the Law
G
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Present Policy Environment (Not enough,
Ambiguity due to Conflicts between the
Constitution, the Local Government Code
and the Family Code)
Enhanced Quality of
Life through RH
Meet Elsa…
 “married” at 16
 poor, sickly
 lacks info/education on
RH/FP services
 beaten and raped by
her husband
 HIV positive
 dead at 32…
Governments must be able to
recognize that rights articulated in
international conventions entail
responsibilities, not only as they
apply to individuals but more so, the
State.
Human Rights
“All human rights are universal,
indivisible, independent and
interrelated. The international
community must treat human rights
globally in fair and equal
manner…While the significance of
national and regional particularities…it
is the duty of the States to promote
and protect all human rights and
fundamental freedoms.”
Knowing One’s Rights
 Inherent to every human being are the
rights s/he is born with, including the right
to LIFE, LIBERTY and PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS.
 The Phil. Constitution of 1987 provides
equal protection for women and men
Women’s Rights are Human Rights!!!
“…the human rights of women and girl
child are inalienable, integral and
indivisible part of human rights…”
- Vienna Declaration, UN World
Conference of Human Rights, 1993
The Right to Health
 many domestic legislation on
reproductive health could be
anchored on and where issues could
be discussed dispassionately and
objectively
 2 provisions in the Local
Government Code are already put in
place but only a few LGUs implement
them
The Right to Information
The Philippine government must
therefore ensure that no person shall be
discriminated against in their access to
information, education and health care or
services related to reproductive health,
rights and needs, throughout their life
span, on the grounds of gender, age,
sexual orientation, marital status, religion
or mental and physical disability
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Life which means among
other things that no woman’s life
should be put at risk by reason of
pregnancy;
 Right to Liberty & Security which
recognizes that no person should be
subject to female genital mutilation,
forced pregnancy, sterilization or
abortion;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Equality & to be Free
from All Forms of Discrimination
including in one’s sexual and
reproductive life;
 Right to Privacy meaning that all
sexual and reproductive health care
services should be confidential, and
all women have the right to
autonomous reproductive choices;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Freedom of Thought
which includes freedom from the
restrictive interpretation of religious
texts, beliefs, philosophies and
customs as tools to curtail freedom
of thought on sexual and
reproductive health care and other
issues;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Information & Education
as it relates to sexual and
reproductive health for all, including
access to full information on the
benefits, risks, and effectiveness of
all methods of fertility regulation, in
order that all decisions taken are
made on the basis of full, free and
informed consent;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Choose Whether or Not to
Marry & to Found and Plan a Family
which includes the right of persons
to protection against a requirement
to marry without his/her consent
and the right to reproductive health
care services;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Decide Whether or
When to have Children which
includes the right of persons to
decide freely responsibly the
number and spacing of their
children and to access to
information and education;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Heath Care and Health
Protection which includes the
right of health care clients to the
highest possible quality of health
care and the right to be free
from traditional practices which
are harmful to health;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to the Benefits of
Scientific Progress which includes
the right of sexual and
reproductive health services
clients to new reproductive health
technologist which are safe,
effective and acceptable
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to Freedom of Assembly &
Political Participation which
includes the right of all persons to
seek to influence communities and
government to prioritize sexual
and reproductive health and
rights;
The 12 Sexual & Repro Rights
 Right to be Free from Torture &
Ill-treatment including the rights
of all women, men and young
people to protection from
violence, sexual exploitation and
abuse.
A Gap in Internal and
External Policies: Integrating
Gender in RH Programs
G
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Do you respect the rights of the
clients? Do you have sexual
harassment policies in place? Are
you gender sensitive?
Enhanced
Quality of Life
through Gender
& RH
Affected Individuals
 single women
 adolescents
 older persons
 men
 children
 differently-abled
INTEGRATION OF GENDER,
RH AND RR
•IEC on existing laws
•Advocacy for Policies (e.g. HBs
3773,3744,Magna Carta for Women)
•Self Regulating policies
•Service Delivery
INFORMATION,
EDUCATION AND
COMMUNICATION/
BEHAVIOR CHANGE
COMMUNICATION/
KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT/
RESEARCH
IEC, BCC, KM, Research
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Databasing disaggregated data by sex
Demographic and Health Surveys
Health consequences of gender
Violence against women and children
Sex Workers (inappropriate term?)
Health needs thru life cycle
Sexuality
MDGs, CEDAW, BPA,ICPD
MDG 3 – promote gender equality and
empower women
Target is to eliminate gender disparity
in primary and secondary education,
preferably by 2005, and to all levels of
education no later than 2015
MDGs, CEDAW, BPA,ICPD
CEDAW and Beijing understand genderbased discrimination as simultaneously
threatening the health of both women
and their children and for this reason
Goal 4 (reduction by 2/3 the mortality
rate among children under 5) and Goal
5 (reduction by 3 quarters the
maternal mortality ratio)
MDGs, CEDAW, BPA,ICPD
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Depriving women of education and literacy
opportunities significantly impairs their
ability to care for their own health and that
of their children and to ensure proper
nutrition
In some regions, higher levels of infant
mortality rates have been linked to the
cultural devaluation of girl children and
preferential treatment for sons in nutrition
and health care
MDGs, CEDAW, BPA,ICPD
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Maternal mortality is still present brought
about by various factors including religious
and cultural beliefs, traditional roles of
women in the home and shortage of trained
medical professionals and health centers for
deliveries
Women’s access to services hampered by
lack of economic resources, lack of decisionmaking power and restrictions on their
freedom of movement outside the home
CEDAW & MD GOALS 4 & 5
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Eliminate discrimination in the field of health
care, to ensure equality between men and
women in access to health care services,
including those related to FP (Art 12.1)
Ensure women appropriate services in
connection with pregnancy, confinement
and post-natal period granting free services
where necessary (Art. 12.2)
CEDAW & MD GOALS 4 & 5
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Ensure women adequate nutrition during
pregnancy and lactation (Art 12.2)
Ensure rural women’s right to adequate
health care facilties, including information,
counselling and services in FP (Art. 14.2b)
Eliminate discrimination in education to
ensure women’s access to educ. info to help
ensure the health and well-being of families
including info and advice on FP (Art 10.h)
BPA & MD GOALS 4 & 5
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Increase women’s access thru out the life cycle
to appropriate, affordable and quality health
care, info and related services (C.1)
Strengthen preventive programs that promote
women’s health (C.2)
Undertake gender sensitive initiatives that
address STDs, HIV/AIDS, RH issues (C.3)
Promote research and disseminate info on
women’s health (C.4)
Increase resources and follow up for women’s
health (C.5)
Eliminate discrimination against girls in health
and nutrition (L.5)
ADVOCACY FOR POLICIES
IN PARLIAMENTS,
MINISTRIES, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, ETC.
Terms Used in HB 3773
Reproductive Health – the state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity,in all matters relating to the
reproductive system and to its functions and
processes. This implies that people are able
to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that
women and men attain equal relationships in
matters related to sexual relations and
reproduction.
Terms Used in HB 3773 and HB 3744
Gender Equality – the absence of
discrimination on the basis of a person’s sex,
in opportunities, allocation of resources and
benefits and access to service
Gender Equity – fairness and justice in the
distribution of benefits and responsibilities
between men and women, & often requires
women-specific projects and programs to
eliminate existing inequalities, inequities,
policies & principles favorable to women
Terms Used in proposed Magna Carta for Women
Gender and Development definition includes
“contends that women are active agents in
development and not just passive recipients of
development assistance”
Right to be properly informed of the issues and
concerns affecting the welfare of women and
access to comprehensive and gender sensitive
health services such as maternal and childcare and
RH including FP
Gender Equality refers to the recognition of parity in
the rights and entitlements of women and men
Terms Used in proposed Magna Carta for Women
Gender Equity refers to the policies, instruments,
programs, services and actions that address the
disadvantaged position of women in society by
providing preferential treatment and affirmative
action. Such temporary special measures aimed at
accelerating de facto equality between men and
women shall not be considered discriminatory but
shall in no way entail as a consequence the
maintenance of unequal or separate standards.
These measures shall be discontinued when the
objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment
have been achieved.
HB 3744
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Gender Empowerment Education (age
appropriate and culturally sensitive)
Gender Responsive Standards of Care
(manner that promotes and respects their
right to be treated with dignity, privacy and
confidentiality, informed decision making)
Equitable Representation of Women in
Policy-Making Bodies
Enhancing Economic Self-Reliance and
Empowerment
HB 3744
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Equity and Equality in Welfare Benefits
Reproductive Health and Equity
Other women focused health services
(medical conditions and diseases of girls
and women other than RH but attributable
to gender inequities and inequalities)
Other gender responsive services (one day
menstrual leave)
Informed decision making
Review of laws
HB 3744 Section 12 on
RH and Equity
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Safe motherhood services and information,
including universal access to skilled
attendance during childbirth, and universal
access to emergency obstetric care for
those with maternal complications
FP services and info, including public
provision of all modern and scientific
methods, whether natural or artificial,
provided that drugs or medical devices have
passed regulatory standards on safety,
quality and efficacy
HB 3744 Section 12 on
RH and Equity
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Services and info on management of abortion
complications, which shall be given in a
humane, respectful and non-judgmental manner
and particular attention shall be given to
address the gender issues surrounding women’s
resort to abortion to reduce number of cases
Services and info for girls and women survivors
of violence including the provision of various
forms of care and support
HB 3744 Section 12 on
RH and Equity
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Services and info on STIs with particular
attention to addressing the gender issues
underlying or lined with the spread of STIs, HIV
and AIDS
Services and info specific to adolescents, with
the goal of promoting their rights, well-being
and responsibilities consistent with their
evolving capacities
Menstrual dysfunctions, Menopause, cancers of
reproductive system, infertility
The landscape of our
advocacy and service delivery.
..
. . .public policy concerning
reproductive health
specifically on the right of
individuals and couples to a
family planning method of
their choice and the sexual
and reproductive rights of
young people become also a
moral issue – one which
will naturally draw in the
influential Catholic Church
hierarchy into the debate.
David vs.
Goliath
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Fighting the Goliaths:
– Catholic Church
hierarchy
– Executive leaders
(national and local) and
Legislative Officials
– Rich and influential
individuals and
conservative groups
The Policy Environment:
Problems in Policy Making
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Rising wave of
conservatism fueled by
Catholic Church
hierarchy
Suspicion that RH
automatically includes
abortion and
promiscuity
The Policy Environment: Problems in
Policy Making and Effect of
Ambivalent National Policy
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Confusion and paralysis at
some LGUs
Buck passing from national
to local government
Decision-making left at the
discretion of some local
leaders who may even be
more susceptible to
pressures from conservative
groups.
NGO Actions on Recent Developments
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Reviewing provisions of comprehensive RH
Ordinance in the Province of Aurora for
replication by proactive & responsive
LGUs/drafting with PLCPD its IRR , tracking
other RH measures
Kept close watch on how GMA will speak in
the UN Millennium Summit and immediately
was informed on her call to the UN to
“respect the deep Catholicism of the Filipino
people” and that “natural FP more effective
than artificial”
NGO Actions on Recent Developments
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Putting up/strengthening partnerships
and alliances (e.g.RH Korum) noting
that political problems of Pres Arroyo
gives perception that she has further
bowed down to the call of the Catholic
Church hierarchy/ “anti choice groups”
and has stalled the approval of the
Reproductive Health Care Act
Kept a close watch on Consultative
Commission on the Constitution
STRATEGIES
ADOPTED AMIDST
STRONG ANTICHOICE LOBBY
FOR GENDER, RH
AND RR
ENSURING THAT
ADVOCACIES/SERVICE
DELIVERY HAVE
CONSTITUTIONAL AND
LEGAL BASIS
PRESENT POLICY
ENVIRONMENT FOR GENDER,
SRH AND RIGHTS
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Does RH have a
constitutional basis?
Are there provisions
in the Constitution
which may be
interpreted to be
“anti-RH”?
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Health, information,
youth, women,
Article on Family,
human rights
provisions
Role of parents in
giving info to their
children; right to
life of the unborn;
lack of ’73 prov.
BEING PART OF A NETWORK OF
HIGH PROFILE, COMPETENT AND
RESPECTED ORGANIZATIONS
SUCH AS THOSE THAT
CONSTITUTED THEMSELVES INTO
THE RHAN ALLOWED
ADVOCACIES TO BE PUSHED
QUICKLY AND WITH QUALITY
RESULTS/ALSO NGO SECTORAL
COUNCIL OF NAPC
RHAN
Championing reproductive health,
reproductive rights and development
concerns
RHAN Members
TRACK PENDING MEASURES IN
THE LEGISLATIVE MILL ON RH
AND POPULATION
 Approval by the
Committee on Women,
HOR, of HB3773, a
substitute bill for
HB16, 2029, 2042, &
2550, Sponsorship
speeches delivered;
Women’s Rights and
PopDev bill pending
 Senate version still
waiting for Committee
on Health hearings;
priority on
breastfeeding & HIV
AIDS
FPOP Sub-national
Initiatives
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Case 1: Creation of an RH advisory
body to the LGU (Local Government
Unit)
To help the LGU develop its policies and program
priorities on RH
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Case 2:
Community Development
Fund for RH Swap (CDF for RH Swap)
Exchange of funds for RH services for the poor
and underserved
FPOP Sub-national
Initiatives
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Case
3:
Family
Management Program
Helping families address family
concerns
on
education,
health,
livelihood
and
environment.
FPOP Sub-national
Initiatives
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Launching of FASTHERH
(Families as Stewards of
their
Homes,
Environment
and
Reproductive Health) /
Community
Work/Religious Issues
SELF REGULATING
POLICIES AND
INTERNAL
PROGRAMS AND
PROJECTS
ARE YOU IN OR OUT?
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Sexual harassment policies
Non discrimination in hiring and
promotion
Welfare related policies such as
vacation, sick, maternity leaves and
other protocols related to occupational
health and safety
Day care centers etc.
SERVICE
DELIVERY
Service Delivery
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Quality of Care
Rights of Service Providers
Design health services for older women
Understand male involvement strategies as
they impact on resources for women
Look at traditional practices related to
gender that have positive and negative
impact on RH
Understand religious and cultural beliefs
Displaced populations
So encourage each other and build each other up…
MARAMING
SALAMAT PO!