PHILIPPINES: Women's rights activists in Manila march on the streets on International Women's Day, calling for a better reproductive health programme in the predominantly Catholic country

Record ID: 863186

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: Women's rights activists in Manila march on the streets on International Women's Day, calling for a better reproductive health programme in the predominantly Catholic country
  • Date: 8th March 2012
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (MARCH 8, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ACTIVISTS CARRYING BANNERS MARCHING ON STREET BESIDE TRAFFIC ACTIVISTS SPEAKING TO CROWD WOMEN CHANTING AND HOLDING PLACARDS WOMAN WEARING PAPER CROWN READING: "NO TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT" (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD MARCH PHILIPPINES FOR WOMEN SPOKESPERSON JEN ENRIQUEZ SAYING: "We are highlighting our demand to pass the reproductive health bill that has been long due. We would want to remind the fundamentalist religions that our bodies belong to ourselves. It is the ownership of the women -- not of the church, not of the state -- but the women's." ACTIVISTS WEARING PAPER CROWNS WHILE CHANTING WOMAN HOLDING BANNER READING: "PASS THE RH (REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH) BILL NOW!!" WOMEN HOLDING PLACARDS AND BANNERS VARIOUS OF WOMEN HOLDING BANNERS MARCHING ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 23rd March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines, Philippines
  • City:
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Health,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC4CEXKX9R184HON5IWV3NCXGA
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Around 1000 mostly female activists marched along Manila's main thoroughfares on Thursday (March 8) in observance of International Women's Day.
    Protesters wore purple shirts, the official colour of International Women's Day, and held placards advocating various women's rights issues, including the passage of the decades-old bill seeking to expand the country's reproductive health programme.
    World March Philippines for Women spokesperson Jen Enriquez said many Filipino women in the predominantly Catholic country are suffering due to the lack of reproductive health information in community centres.
    She added that the lack of education in that aspect may lead to unwanted pregnancies, maternal deaths and abortion.
    "We are highlighting our demand to pass the reproductive health bill that has been long due. We would want to remind the fundamentalist religions that our bodies belong to ourselves. It is the ownership of the women -- not of the church, not of the state -- but the women's," Enriquez said.
    The influential Catholic church has been adamant in opposing the passage of the 13-year-old Reproductive Health Bill which seeks to provide knowledge in alternative family planning methods, including the use of contraceptives.
    The church said the bill might promote promiscuity among the youth.
    International Women's Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s, to promote gender equality.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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