The true picture of girls and women

Having attended several international conferences on women, I expected the Women Deliver 2013 global summit held in Kuala Lumpur last week to pass resolutions to accelerate the movement to reach the Millennium Development Goal 5 (targeted at 2015), and presenting them to the world’s governments for implementation. No such thing occurred. Women Deliver founder and president Jill Sheffield said there was no need for resolutions, as heads of state, cabinet  ministers and secretaries , top civil society leaders and the media were some of the 4,500 participants from 145 countries in the region.

India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal and Myanmar account for almost 98 percent of the maternal deaths in South and Southeast Asia, and the same five countries contribute to 99 percent of  the total neonatal deaths in the region, the WD report said.

On family planning, between 2008 and 2012, the number of women worldwide who wanted to avoid a pregnancy grew by nearly 40 million. The biggest improvements in reducing unmet need for contraception were made in Southeast Asia. Globally, the use of modern contraceptives has increased dramatically. However, more than 6 percent of adolescents in South and Southeast Asia who wish to avoid pregnancy still don’t have access to modern contraceptives.

The number of women still in need of contraception would have been bigger if family planning advocates, topped by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, had not committed huge amounts for family planning programs.

On gender equality, countries in the Asia-Pacific region have increased women’s representation in government bodies. The Asia-Pacific region ranked highest in the world for women’s political empowerment, with the Philippines ranking among the top 10 worldwide, and India and Nepal registering among  the 20 lowest in Southeast Asia.

In gender equality, countries in the Asia-Pacific region have increased women’s representation in government bodies. The region ranked highest in the world for women’s political empowerment, according to the 2012 Global Gender Gap Index.  

Approximately one in five women between15 and 24 years and one in six women between 40 and 49 years in Southeast Asia are subject to gender-based violence for their intimate partner or husband.

On education and employment, Southeast Asia has successfully reduced gender inequality in primary, secondary and tertiary  education.  Of the illiterate adults worldwide, two-thirds live in Asia and the Pacific, the majority of whom are adult women.

WD notes that, while “we have made progress for girls and women under the MDGoals, and the pace of change is accelerating, challenges remain. Progress is uneven across regions and countries. Girls and women still do not have equal access to goods and opportunities. Some 22 million women in developing countries have an unmet need for family planning. Maternal morbidity continues at 30 times the level of maternal deaths. Leading causes of maternal deaths are preventable and treatable, but  everyday 800 women still die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Women are disproportionally impacted by HIV. Girls and women’s rights are systematically violated. Progress largely bypasses the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Despite gains in selected countries, little progress has been made in preventing child marriage in developing countries.

According to Women Deliver, by  2015, “ we can farther close the gap and achieve the MDGs by, among others, advancing equality among boys and girls and men  and women. Involving men and boys at all levels, from households to political  chambers, and holding  governments accountable for pledges they have made.”

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On the Philippine situation,  Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona reported at the conference that family planning access is “absolutely critical for us Filipinos. In the Philippines, out of 72 million women of reproductive age belonging to the poorest 5.2 million households, 62 percent or 4.6 million are sexually active. Of these women, 3.7 million women do not want to have children. Out of these 3.7 million women, only 39 percent or 1.4 million are using modern family planning methods. This leaves us with 61 percent or 2.2 million women who are not using any modern contraception method. Moreover, surveys also revealed that the majority of the Filipinos agree that the government should make family planning services available to those who want to avail. Also, 71 percent of Filipinos are in favor of  the Reproductive Health Law.”

”The journey towards the bill’s passage,” said Secretary Ona, “revealed a maturing citizenry that demanded moral answers and critical information.”

Ona said the passage and enactment of the  Reproductive Health  law is seen “as a result of 1) the unwavering support and commitment of President Benigno Aquino III to women’s empowerment, 2) the coordination of the country’s legislators (i.e. Senator Pia Cayetano and Representative Janet Garin who attended the WD 2013 conference)  with civil society organizations, 3) the widespread advocacy through the power of mass media and social media, and 4) the enlightened Filipino public who owned up to the issue, particularly the youth and women.”

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Filipinos attending the summit included  Dr. Eden Divinagracia, executive director of the Philippine NGO Council and  Ben de  Leon, president of  The Forum for Family Planning and Development.  

De Leon told this columnist , “There is much to be done as far as the Philippines is concerned because we have just passed our RH law. But being part of Women Deliver strengthens us for the work ahead.”           

Divinagracia said it  was  “an experience to be among women who are a league of their own, and to share our experiences and learn from one another.”

Sen. Pia Cayetano recounted at the plenary session the journey of the reproductive health bill, through 15 years and  five  Congresses.  She was  acknowledged at the conference as one of three “Rising Stars.”

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The decrease in maternal  and infant mortality has been due to pharmaceutical companies’ commitment to the improvement of women’s health by ensuring access to its medicines and vaccines. Among these is Merck, Sharpe and Dohme, which is working towards the fulfillment of MDG5 through MSD for Mothers, a decade-long commitment to address maternal mortality due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Last February, through the MSD for Mothers  Global Giving Program, MSD in the Philippines launched a joint development initiative to help improve maternal health in 21 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAS) in the Samar region. Through these programs, MSD representatives said, the company “shares not just its resources but its business and scientific expertise as well.”

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