Women workers give free condoms for Women's Day

Monday, 08 March 2010 02:48 PM Merck Maguddayao

Women workers from the party-list Partido ng Manggagawa (Workers' Party, or PM) distributed free condoms earlier today in front of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, to mark the International Women's Day.

According to Judy Miranda, secretary-general of PM, their activity is in protest of CBCP's stand against the use of artificial contraceptives such as condoms. The CBCP asserts that the use of artificial contraceptives promotes premarital sex and is tantamount to abortion.

“Women have the right to oversee her own health, particularly her reproductive health. Condoms help in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, so the [Roman Catholic] Church must not prevent women from exercising their rights,” Miranda said.

The group then proceeded to the national office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to denounce “unfair” labor policies and practices, particularly regarding women.

“We seek for a P125 wage increase because the current daily minimum wage of P382 cannot sustain the daily needs of a working-class family. With this, women are obliged to work instead of taking care of their families,” Miranda said.

Mendiola protest

Meanwhile, womens' rights activists from Akbayan, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), and Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND) staged a protest rally at Mendiola, Manila, to denounce “anti-women” policies, including the Republic of the Philippines-United States Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), contractualization of workers, and women exploitation.

“Because of unfair labor policies, such as contractualization, our parents could not have stable jobs for our education. Young graduates face this kind of problem, too. So we call for the abolition of these policies,” said Precy Dellomes of YND.

She added that YND seeks to “add” provisions to the pending Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. “The RH Bill has to oblige the state to open public clinics specializing in reproductive health and education, so young women will learn about the functions of their body so they will avoid various health risks,” said Dellones.

For their part, Olongapo-based People's Recovery, Empowerment, and Development Assistance (PREDA)-Philippines seek for the scrapping of the VFA, claiming that American troops continue to exploit women in military bases in the Philippines.

Akbayan and PLM, meanwhile, call for the next president to implement and support the RH Bill, and to abolish labor and trade policies that “disempower” women.

The International Womens' Day was started in 1909 by women workers under the Socialist Party of America.

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