Choose candidates who advance women's rights — advocates

In celebration of the National Women's Month and as the midterm election nears, advocates enjoined Filipino voters to choose candidates who are allies of women and those who advance the rights of women.

During a media forum hosted by Oxfam Pilipinas, Daryl Leyesa, project coordinator of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan, said she hopes more candidates would talk about the plight of women during debates.

"This is the challenge for them because we noticed that most of the candidates, the programs on women's reproductive health are not particularly popular among them," Leyesa pointed out.

She also called on the members of the media to ask candidates about their opinions on divorce, abortion, and the SOGIE Equality Bill.

For his part, Nandy Nenoc, executive director of Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, said many candidates are scared to comment on reproductive health programs to not offend conservative sectors.

"They know it's possible to offend some sectors, the Catholic Church, that are fighting for everything to not elect policymakers who support programs on family planning," Nenoc lamented.

"One strategy here is the continuous voter's education in the community, to introduce candidates who are supportive to family planning and reproductive health," he added.

Leyesa and Nenoc both urged policymakers, civil society groups, and the public to take a stand against regressive bodily autonomy and emphasized the need for increased investment in public health services, stronger protections for marginalized communities, and greater representation of women in decision-making spaces.

On Monday, Oxfam Pilipinas launched "SHE Rises: Stories of Change from People and Communities of the Sexual Health and Empowerment Project," a collection of real-life stories showcasing grassroots efforts to advance reproductive health and rights.