Pinsan | INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (IDEVAW) 2023 STATEMENT
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INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (IDEVAW) 2023 STATEMENT

25 Nov INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (IDEVAW) 2023 STATEMENT

Posted at 14:36h in Campaigns by
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The Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN)  joins the women’s rights movement in observing the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). We call to the Philippine government to end gender-based violence that women and girls experience because of forced pregnancies and denial of access to safe and legal abortions. 

“It is the obligation of the Philippine government to eliminate gender-based violence by decriminalizing abortion to save the lives of women who are impacted by forced pregnancies, inhumane treatment of abortion complications and denial of access to safe abortions,” said Atty. Clara Rita Padilla, PINSAN spokesperson.  

When done according to WHO standards, abortion is a safe medical procedure. Despite its safety, legal restrictions on abortion cause over a hundred thousand women in the Philippines to suffer life-threatening complications. While disaggregated and official data on abortion are extremely limited due the severe restrictions on abortion, induced abortion has been reported as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the country. 

Around 610,000 induced, and potentially unsafe, abortions took place in the Philippines in 2012, an increase from 560,000 in 2008. Recent estimates indicate that abortion rates increased by 51% between 1990-1994 and 2015-2019. According to the Guttmacher Institute, there were a total of 3,770,000 pregnancies annually between 2015-2019 with 1,930,000 of these considered as unintended and 973,000 ended in abortion. Based on these figures, approximately 1 out of 2 pregnancies are unintended and 1 out of 4 pregnancies end up in abortion. Further, the number of women hospitalized for abortion complications increased from 90,000 in 2008 to 100,000 in 2012. Common complications of unsafe abortion include blood loss, hemorrhage, sepsis, infection, perforation of the uterus, damage to other internal organs, and death. 

An estimated 1,000 maternal deaths were attributed to abortion complications in 2008 translating to at least three women dying every day because of unsafe abortions. Further, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these figures were projected to increase in 2020 i.e., from an estimated 1.1 million induced abortions without the lockdown restrictions to at least 1.26 million because of the additional 17,000 abortions for every month of community quarantine across 2020.

Preventable deaths because of denial of access to life-saving abortion care is considered a gender-based arbitrary killing, only suffered by women, as a result of discrimination in law. In 2022, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Committee urged the Philippine government to decriminalize abortion; legalize including where the life and health of the pregnant woman or girl is at risk, or where carrying a pregnancy to term would cause the pregnant woman or girl substantial pain or suffering, most notably where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or where the pregnancy is not viable; and ensure access to safe abortion including for adolescent girls. In the same year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2022 Abortion Care Guideline reaffirmed abortion as essential health care and recommended for its decriminalization. 

This year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, reiterated its recommendations to the Philippine government to provide adequate access to safe abortion and post-abortion services for women and girls, including those who are located in rural areas, unmarried, and women and girls with disabilities.

Depite all of these recommendations, the Philippine government persistently neglects women’s rights to bodily autonomy and constantly contribute to the institutional violence that affects millions of Filipino women and girls. 

Jihan Jacob, Associate Director for Legal Strategies in Asia of the Center for Reproductive Rights stated that, “In the face of threats to human rights defenders and bodies supporting reproductive rights, we must recognize that such acts of coercion perpetuate a cycle of violence against women. Abortion rights are intertwined with the broader obligation of governments to end violence against women—each instance of intimidation undermines the progress toward a society that respects the autonomy and safety of every woman.” 

PINSAN urges all public and private actors to unite and urge the Philippine government to recognize and prevent forced pregnancies and denial of safe abortions. UN and regional bodies and experts have recognized that criminalization of abortion and forced continuation of pregnancy are forms of gender-based discrimination and violence, and that they constitute systemic violations of fundamental rights. They have also recognized that denying safe abortions and subjecting women and girls to humiliating and judgmental attitudes in such contexts of extreme vulnerability and where timely health care is essential amount to torture or ill-treatment. Further, they found that restrictive policies which force women to carry pregnancies to term against their will disproportionately impact marginalized and disadvantaged women and girls. 

This IDEVAW 2023, let’s amplify our calls and demand to our gvernment to end violence against women, #SaveWomensLives and #DecriminalizeAbortionNow! 

 

KEY MESSAGES 

  • The 1987 Philippine Constitution is an evolving law. The law of the Filipino people guarantees fundamental human rights. It must be construed liberally to save the lives of Filipino women and prevent disability resulting from complications from unsafe abortion and that the woman’s right to life encompasses her physical, mental, emotional, psychological well-being.
  • Decriminalizing abortion will save women’s lives. Decriminalizing abortion means repealing the current legal and punitive restrictions that penalize Filipino women for accessing abortion care. It will also remove similar penalties on healthcare providers and any other person who assists those seeking abortion care.


Decriminalizing abortion will provide a safe and non-stigmatizing environment for all women and those assisting or supporting them including healthcare providers to seek and provide safe and quality abortion care without the threat of arrest and prosecution.

Decriminalizing abortion means recognizing abortion as an essential healthcare service that needs to be provided to women respecting their right to decide over their own bodies.


  • Decreasing the budget on SRHR negatively affects the lives of women. Budget cuts that loom over realizing women’s right to their sexual and reproductive health have a grave effect on women’s comprehensive access to information and services. They are left devoid of access to the institutions and programs that support and protect them, and empower them in exercising their rights. This is nothing short of institutional violence.
  • The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is an independent constitutional body as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution. The Philippine government must comply with the UN Paris Principles to maintain the independence of CHR. Furthermore, the Philippine government shall recognize the role of the CHR in upholding its legal mandate to protect human rights and ensure the government’s compliance with its obligations under international human rights treaties.

 

To other advocates

  • We stand united for sexual and reproductive health and rights. 
  • Our commitment to the decriminalization of abortion remains unwavering.
  • Opposition based on religious ideologies reinforces the need for stronger advocacy for reproductive rights. 

 

To the CHR

  • The public entrusts the Commission on Human Rights with the protection of human rights. We call on them to be true to their mandate and not succumb to external pressures that compromise these rights.
  • The Commission on Human Rights must reconsider and uphold their previous commitment to decriminalize abortion.
  • As a key player in our democratic system, the Commission on Human Rights plays a vital role in upholding the human rights enshrined in our constitution. We must hold them accountable for preserving these rights.

 

To the Senate

  • No independent institution should be coerced into compromising its values or abandoning its responsibility to uphold human rights. 
  • Threatening the budget of an independent body is an affront to democracy and the principles of impartiality.
  • We demand accountability from those who used budget threats to manipulate independent institutions. Such tactics undermine the integrity of our democracy.

 

Take action!

 

#SaveWomensLives
#DecriminalizeAbortionNow
#EndGBV
#IDEVAW2023