The past weeks I have spent mostly with community women in activities related with the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law and how it affects them. Listening to their stories makes me realize even more how full implementation of the law is necessary for their and their families’ well-being.
I am no stranger to being with community women. Many times I have said that I get my high from them because they give me and my colleagues inspiration to go on with our work of dealing with the systemic inequality women suffer. The strength of these women never fails to amaze me. Their capacity to handle difficulties sometimes makes me feel insignificant for they live much harsher, more difficult lives. Yet, their humor, their capacity for laughter and have fun never fails to lift me up even if we mostly discuss problems, be it personal, or the search for world peace.
I have grown old with the leaders of these community women. We have been together for more than 30 years, longer than some marriages I know. Yet, we continue to learn from each other. We know that the work never ends.
They were with us during the almost 15 years of journey that led to what we now know as the RH law. They rejoiced with us when the law at last passed the difficult hurdle in Congress. From then until now, they, and their families remain waiting for its full implementation.
In recent activities with them, I was tasked to discuss with the women the many benefits the law is supposed to bring them, their families, and their communities as a whole. Many were surprised that this one law is supposed to provide various RH-related programs especially to the economically-challenged.
The women expressed grave concern on why they know nothing about the programs that are supposed to be implemented in their local government units (LGUs). Where non-government organizations (NGOs) are active, the women said that if not for these NGOs, they would not have any access to RH programs.
Two major concerns were emphasized: modern family planning, and sexuality and RH education for the youth. On the first, all of the women from various LGUs said that efforts to educate them on modern family planning are at best very weak, in many areas, there is none. They underscored the need for education because not many among their friends and neighbors know the benefits of family planning. On the contrary, many have fears because of the misconceptions that abound about contraceptives. The fear of so-called side effects of contraceptives is real. This should be countered with evidence-based and scientific information.
Where there exist family planning programs, these are not enough because not all methods are available. There were also many times when women were told that the Barangay Health Centers had no contraceptives in stock.
Women also reported that in many of their BHCs, while they were told that the services are free, they were required to give donations the amounts of which are fixed depending on the family planning method they want and need. Such amounts of “donation” vary from one BHC to another. Thus, the women felt that while the supplies are supposed to be free, poor women are actually required to pay for them. For poor women, fifty, or a hundred pesos is a lot. It can already buy rice for their families. This “donation” system serves as a strong deterrent for poor women in accessing a government program that is supposed to be free.
In many other communities, women said that their LGU officials are anti-RH and therefore, family planning is almost non-existent. Other women expressed dismay on the very slow implementation of the law. The women took time relating to each other how “unfelt” the RH law is in their communities.
These barriers, coupled with the legal challenges the RH law has had and still has to face, explain the generally weak family planning program that exists in the country.
The other major concern was RH and sexuality education for adolescents and youth. This, based on the law, has to be implemented in schools and through non-formal educational system for those who do not attend schools.
All the participants (and there were more than a hundred) saw teenage pregnancy as a major problem. They spoke of girls as young as 10 years old getting pregnant and giving birth. The women spoke about the desperation of families of these girls. They understood that those girls’ future are put in peril.
The women found no excuse in the Department of Education’s failure to implement this important provision of the law in the almost five years that the law is supposed to be in effect. Because many of the women are without the knowledge and capacity to educate their sons and daughters themselves, they said that this RH education is crucial to prevent girls from getting pregnant. If our young people are to become more responsible in expressing their sexuality, they must be educated.
These women from poor communities know what their problems are, what are needed to address these, and are willing to work so other women and young people are able to access the benefits of the RH law.
Listening to community women is always a learning and inspiring experience. Government should listen to them more.
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