PHM-Exch> Filipino Women Demand President-Elect Respect Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights

[Tanya Roberts-Davis]

**Letter to the Editor **For Immediate Release**

June 29, 2010
Quezon City, Philippines


Women Call on Aquino: Respect Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights  

As President-elect Aquino steps into power this week, local, national and international women’s organizations urge him to seize the opportunity to respect the rights of all Filipino women to reproductive and sexual health, as guaranteed under national and international law.  Every day, ten Filipino women die of childbirth and pregnancy related complications.   President-elect Aquino has a crucial decision ahead: Will he make comprehensive reproductive and sexual health services universally accessible and available throughout the country or will he continue to allow our communities to be ravaged by these unnecessary deaths? 

To end this tragic and systematic loss of life, women are putting the government-elect on notice. Our mothers, sisters, partners, friends and families will not wait—the incoming government must take concrete steps to meet the sexual and reproductive health rights obligations as outlined by the 1987 national constitution, and international commitments agreed upon in the halls of the United Nations by our own state delegates. 

The incoming government must immediately act to reform national laws pertaining to sexual and reproductive health rights, ensuring that the principles enshrined in international conventions and declarations to which the Philippines is a state signatory are upheld. A full and comprehensive range of reproductive health services is non-negotiable, and must be provided in a non-coercive, gender-sensitive, non-judgmental, non-discriminatory basis by public health personnel. Our young people, whether in school, or marginalized and out-of-school, need comprehensive sexual and reproductive health awareness programs.  None of these changes will be possible unless the new administration commits to engage in inclusive, respectful partnerships with advocates from urban, rural and marginalized communities, including youth, migrants, indigenous peoples, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer or intersex. 

The president-elect and new administration must make a genuine effort to proactively ensure that the reproductive and sexual health rights of all Filipinos are respected. The lives of our loved ones, and the lifeblood of our communities are at stake. Aquino, we are counting on you to act upon this grim situation immediately.

Centre for Women’s Resources
Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines
Gabriela Philippines
ISIS International
Migrant Forum Asia
Women's Legal and Human Rights Bureau, Inc. (WLB)
Womenlead
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights

For more information, please contact: 
Tanya Roberts-Davis, Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
E-mail: tanya at wgnrr.org| Ph: 63 (2) 913 6708  


Tanya Roberts-Davis
Campaigns Officer, Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)
Red Mundial de Mujeres por los Derechos Reproductivos
Réseau Mondial de Femmes por les Droits Reproductifs
www.wgnrr.org
13 Dao Street,
Project 3 Barangay Quirino 3-A
Quezon City, 1102
Philippines
T: + 63 (2) 913 6708      
F: + 63 (2) 911 8293
www.wgnrr.org    



Tanya Roberts-Davis
Campaigns Officer, Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)
Red Mundial de Mujeres por los Derechos Reproductivos
Réseau Mondial de Femmes por les Droits Reproductifs
www.wgnrr.org
13 Dao Street,
Project 3 Barangay Quirino 3-A
Quezon City, 1102
Philippines
T: + 63 (2) 913 6708      
F: + 63 (2) 911 8293
www.wgnrr.org    

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20100629/47b80185/attachment.html>