Professor Aurora "Oyie" Javate- De Dios is the first convenor of the CEDAW Philippine network.

Philippine network on CEDAW formed

Prominent personalities from the women's movement in the Philippines met early this year to formalize a national network that will monitor and work for the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The network aims to promote public and government awareness on and advocate for laws and mechanisms that fulfill women's rights stipulated in the convention.

The network's first year focuses on membership building and consolidation. For succeeding years, network members plan to continue the group's mission through collaborative efforts on resource mobilization from various sources.

The Women and Gender Institute serves as the network's interim secretariat. CEDAW expert Professor Aurora "Oyie"Javate- De Dios serves as Convenor.

The network was formed with support from the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Update on the Philippine Magna Carta for Women

About 30 women leaders from organizations based in the National Capital Region attended today the PILIPINA organized consultation on the Magna Carta for Women at the Dulcinea Restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

In her opening message, Ms Beth Yang, PILIPINA National Coordinator, explained that the initiative is in line with the goal of operationalizing CEDAW in the country through an enabling law, and from earlier discussions with women organizations including the CEDAW Watch, it was decided to build on existing bills. House Bill 3766 entitled Magna Carta for Women, which was due for second reading at the Twelfth Congress, was picked since it is the one most closely aligned with CEDAW.

The Dulcinea consultation reviewed the draft Magna Carta as to the extent that it carried the CEDAW provisions, as well as the draft of what will be recommended as the Senate version of this House bill.

Present in the meeting from the CEDAW Watch Network were Atty. Myrna Feliciano, Atty. Milabel Amar, Atty. Leo Battad, Annie Serrano, Beth Yang and Rina Jimenez-David, with the last two serving as host on behalf of PILIPINA.

Among the key points proposed by the CEDAW Watch members were:

(1) Declare prohibition of discrimination against women as a State policy

(2) The definition of gender equality should be along the CEDAW principle of substantive equality, so much so that the definition of "gender equity" should be located within this framework.

(3) Temporary special measures, which did not figure in the present version of the Magna Carta, should be acknowledged as a valid policy or measure and must be encouraged in order to fast track the attainment of substantive equality.

Women leaders engaged in women's health and sexual and reproductive rights activities/advocacy preferred that a clear statement supporting sexuality education be included, not only as part of women's health, but also in the section on Marriage and Family Life.

There was also a call to include the obligation of the state to respect, protect and promote basic civil and political rights of women in the context of the current serious concern over the spate of abductions and assassinations committed against activists.

A negotiated language on reproductive health between the Study and Action Core Group on Gender Equality Law and elements of the Catholic church reads "SEC. 20. Comprehensive Health Services. - The State shall at all times provide for comprehensive gender RESPONSIVE health services and programs covering all stages of a woman's life cycle and ensure access to the following:

(a) Maternal care services;
(b) Nutrition package;
(c) Reproductive health services including ARTIFICAL AND NATURAL family planning services, EXCLUDING ABORTION;..."

A clear statement excluding abortion from reproductive health services appeared to be the crucial idea. Rina Jimenez-David, on the other hand, emphasized the fooly of differentiating artificial from natural methods and instead suggested the term "modern methods."

Another point of discussion was what to propose as the mechanism for monitoring the law's implementation. In the draft Senate version, there is a provision recommending a Gender Equality Council composed of the Chair of NCRFW and two other persons from the private sector including NGOS who will appointed by the President for a fixed term of six years. NCRFW was to serve as the Secretariat. It is a matter for further study since the draft gives the body the role of an Ombuds as well as a quasi-judicial function which, according to Atty. Feliciano, belongs to the Ombudsman. The NCRFW staff present in the consultation also said that it is a matter for NCRFW to further thresh out as to its capacity to carry out the stated functions.