Women workers hold noise barrage for RH bill

PRESS RELEASE
4 March 2011

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa held a noise barrage for the RH bill bringing with them makeshift air-conditioners, bags of ice and folding fans in response to the cancellation of sessions at the House of Representatives since Tuesday.

“Women workers have brought whatever air-conditioning amenities that members of the House of Representatives need just so the plenary debates on RH can proceed. This symbolizes the exigency of the bill’s passage given that eleven (11) poor women, including teenagers, are dying every day from pregnancy and birth delivery complications,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

From a leaders assembly of women workers at the Department of Agriculture AIT Building in the morning, PM members marched to Philcoa for the noise barrage at 1:00pm. In preparation for the Women’s Day commemoration, the assembly discussed pressing concerns of women workers’ such as the RH bill, the security of tenure bill and the plight of migrant workers.

“We are deeply concerned with the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy. The Philippines, according to the World Bank, is among the Top 10 countries where there are an increasing number of teenage mothers (3.6 million). Seven out of every 10 women who are pregnant are teenagers. More often than not, these teenagers come from poor and working class families. We could just imagine how difficult life would be for these young women,” added Miranda.

PM believes that through age-appropriate sexuality and reproductive health education, young women especially, will learn the risks of early pregnancy and, thus, try to avoid unsound sexual decisions. “It is really important that the State provide the necessary preparation for teenagers to cope with puberty and sexual development through sex education,” stressed Miranda.

On March 8, hundreds of PM members including the youth will assemble by 1:00 at St. Peter’s Cathedral along Commonwealth Ave. then march on to Batasang Pambansa for the big rally in support of the RH bill.