Parliamentarians for women’s empowerment

During the past two days, some 75 women ministers and parliamentarians from 22 countries within the Asia-Pacific region, met in Manila to discuss, and take back with them, issues and challenges facing women that must be tackled by their governments. Those issues are interlinked: There is a connection among poverty, gender and reproductive health.

The meeting was organized by the Philippine Legislators‚ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development (AFPPD) in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Japanese government.

Two of our legislators have been largely responsible for the holding of the meeting – Sen. Rodolfo G. Biazon, and Rep. Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo, co-chairs of PLCPD.

Representatives Krisel Lagman-Luistro and J. R. Nereus O. Acosta expressed at a press conference that the media should treat the issue of violence against women not only when such occurrences as the Kris-Joey scandal explode, but as a women’s issue that imperil the lives and well-being of women.

Joining them at the presidential table were the distinguished parliamentarians Kelly Hoare of Australia, and Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit of Thailand.

The theme of the conference was "Empowered Women: Breaking the Chains of Poverty and Gender Inequality". The theme, said Parliamentarian Kelly Hoare, "rests on the basic understanding that our goals on halving the word‚s poor cannot be met unless we alleviate the plight of women that comprise half of the world’s population."

Participants talked of women’s problems in their countries, in a region whose population was 3.52 billion in 1995, and which will continue to increase to 4.58 billion by the year 2020. This means an increase of over 1 billion or 30 per cent over 25 years. Over 1 billion people in the region live on less than $1US dollar a day – an indication of extreme poverty. Moreover, globalization has caused many women to have poor-paying jobs. The AIDS epidemic, plus resources not matching fast population growths, were discussed. Other obstacles cited are cultural barriers, gender inequality, and weak government commitment.

Ms. Imelda Henkin, deputy executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) spoke about these obstacles on opening day of the conference. But not all is bleak – with UNFPA interventions, projects in the region have sought to enhance women‚s political participation and representation in government, provided funds to local NGOS in 18 provinces so they can provide gender-sensitive information and services to sex workers, unmarried woman and adolescents, and set up savings and micro-credit projects for poor women.

What good a conference among parliamentarians can do was summed up at a press conference by Representative Angara-Castillo. She said the government has failed to listen to what the people need. "There are yawning gaps in the area of women empowerment and gender equity." Reproductive health care services are badly wanting in many parts of Asia, which is why many women die of pregnancy and children-related causes daily, and one out of five does not use contraceptives even if they want to space or limit their pregnancy.

It is for the above reason, said Representative Castillo, that the PLCPD has been pushing for the enactment of the Reproductive Health Care Act (HB 4110 of which she is the principal author) and its Senate version SB 2325 authored by Senator Biazon. But the Philippine government has turned its ear to this need, spending instead, for 2003, on a defense budget that is almost four times bigger than the health budget, and whose allocation for debt servicing is 20 times greater than that for health.

In such cases, parliamentarians, she said, can work with civil society groups and constituents to do advocacy work for population and human development policies, conduct dialogues, forums and conferences to mobilize different sectors to rally behind a common cause. It is a reality that "the legislative mill can be easily pressured by vested interests in the name of dogma," she said. "It is then that a parliamentarian sets aside personal, political welfare in the name of serving interests of a greater majority."

At the end of the conference, the participants signed a Plan of Action, declaring, among others, recommitment to the principles set forth in international conferences that advance gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women, the elimination of all kinds of violence against women, and ensure women’s ability to control their own fertility, all of which are "cornerstones of population and development-related programs".

ON ANOTHER FRONT, women and women empowerment will be the topic of the 12th Zonta District 17 Conference which will be held in Manila (EDSA Shangrila Hotel) Oct. 10-12. Five hundred delegates will be coming from the Philippines, Hongkong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and promoting the objectives of Zonta International.

* * *

Zonta International is a worldwide service organization of business executives and professionals working together for the advancement of the status of women. It was established in 1919 in the US and now counts 36,000 members coming from more than 1,200 clubs in 70 countries.

Keynote speaker at the conference is Sen. Loren Legarda. DSWD Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Juliano-Soliman will talk about "Women Empowerment: Protection of women and Children" as plenary speaker. Other speakers are Geraldyn "Apples" Aberin-Sadwhani, San Fernando, La Union Mayor Mary Jane Ortega, Ruankeo Kuyyakanond-Brandt of Bangkok and Mabel Mak of Hong Kong.

A major highlight is the granting of the District Recognition Award to Justice Cecilia Munoz-Palma the first woman justice of the Supreme Court.

At the forefront of the preparations for the district conference is District Gov. Imelda "Dandy" Santos-Gomez, past Area 1 director and past president of the Zonta Club of Greater Rizal Foundation.

* * *

E-mail: [email protected].