01 Jun Statement of PINSAN for the May 28 International Day of Action for Women’s Health
Statement of PINSAN for the May 28 International Day of Action for Women’s Health
The Philippines is a country in transition. The pandemic saw life come to a virtual standstill, and as people find their way back to normalcy, the government anticipates the coming of its newly elected public servants. All eyes are on the incoming administration, and how it can lift us from two years of fighting to survive a virus, a struggling economy, and an increased difficulty to access basic services.
However, for many, the fight for survival can only get louder and braver.
This 28th of May is the International Day of Action for Women’s Health. Stand in solidarity with activists, advocates, and women all over the world as we heighten our call to preserve and respect women’s health and women’s rights.
However, the fight for better healthcare for women in the Philippines does not begin and end with demanding accessible and pro-people medical services.
Rather, the fight for women’s health will always be anchored on the untiring struggle for basic human rights. Those who choose to speak out should not live in fear of ridicule and even arrest. People’s demands should be met with accountability, and not grinding bureaucracy and corruption.
One such demand is the decriminalization of abortion in the Philippines. Abortion remains contentious, if not outright stigmatized, in the country. Laws on abortion also remain restrictive. This puts women at risk, as they are left with fewer safe options, and little to no access to proper medical facilities. Not only are women stripped of their bodily autonomy, they too are stripped of rights to healthcare. Unfortunately, these often unsafe and unsanitary conditions result in thousands of preventable deaths annually.
Despite the country’s outdated legislation, there were 600,000 induced abortions in 2012, with that number rising steadily as the Philippines’ population increases every year. Of those 600,000 abortions, about two-thirds of the women who underwent the procedure were poor. Between 2015-2019, the number of abortions has increased to 973,000 annually. The increase continued through 2020 where it was estimated to reach over 1.26 million.
The situation is clear, and bleak: while the women of the Philippines suffer from an overall lack of access to sexual health, sexual education, and healthcare in general, the poor disproportionately bear the brunt of the country’s deficient women’s health services.
We at PINSAN believe women’s health is a universal and fundamental right, and not a privilege afforded only to a few.
As we recognize the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, PINSAN is calling upon the incoming administration to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights as enshrined in international and national laws and policies, as well as uphold its duties as elected public servants. As public servants, the realization of Filipinos’ fundamental rights and the welfare and betterment of the people must always be prioritized, instead of profits and personal gain.
This 28th of May, PINSAN and its allies are one in the global fight for women’s rights and women’s health. Be loud, be brave, and demand to #SaveWomensLives and to #DecriminalizeAbortionNow!