Women’s group pushes for RH bill

A big group of placard-bearing women belonging to Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) recently marched along the streets of the mountain town of Bagac in Bataan in observance of “Women’s Day.”

Eva Shaikh, president of GWP in Bagac, placed the number of rallying women at about 500, mostly new members who took their oath.

The women chanted “Karapatan ng Kababaihan, Ipaglaban” while carrying placards of the same message.

In support of the comprehensive reproductive health (RH) bill, they displayed big streamers that read “Reproductive Health Bill Ngayon Na” and “Fight for Women’s Full Access to Reproductive Health Services”.

After the march, they held a short program at the town plaza where Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela party-list addressed them.

“We are urging everyone to support the comprehensive reproductive health bill, as this empowers women to make the right choice for their families,” the lawmaker said in Filipino.

She said that the comprehensive RH bill will look into the welfare and rights of women and will even lessen deaths among them that she placed at 11 women dying a day. Ilagan urged government to support women, especially marginalized ones, with materials and supplies on reproductive health to lessen the number of mortality.

By Ernie B. Esconde