Denying Women’s Reproductive Rights: An Executive Privilege or Human Rights Abuse?

Castro said at a press conference the day following his walk out that the CBCP would stop participating “if only to avoid being misconstrued as giving consent to the passage of the bill.”

Pampanga Bishop Paciano Aniceto meantime has called for protestors to respect the views of the Catholic Church and of its allies.

He has said the bill is “a violation of the right of the families of the pro-life movements, NGOs, basic ecclesial communities, all family organizations. So, it’s no longer just the fight of the bishops … it’s the fight of the Filipino family.”

Bring in the world

Advocates are now talking of trying to drum up international support in an effort to change the local executive order. Melissa Upreti of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights says that women’s groups in the US have been closely watching the struggle in the Philippines for reproductive health rights.

Upreti who is Senior Regional Manager and Legal Adviser for Asia, urges the Manila executive order to be seen through the lens of human rights and science above anything else.

She says: “It is problematic from a human rights perspective to use an ideological lens for public health. It can confuse people when morality is seen as a goal of the policy. People must have the right to decide on their problems and pursuing this right has economic and social implications. It is immoral to rob them of this right.”

Still globally, the executive order could be considered by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which urged the Philippine government back in 2006 to increase its promotion of reproductive health.

CEDAW experts have already suggested strengthening measures aimed at the prevention of unwanted pregnancies, including making a comprehensive range of contraceptives more widely available and “without any restriction.”

Yet another option is to “complain” about the executive order within the revocation by US President Barack Obama of his predecessor’s Global Gag Rule which stopped US funds from reaching international family planning groups that perform abortions in cases other than a threat to the woman’s life, rape or incest.

Obama, who signed the repeal on January 23, 2009, said family planning issues should not be politicized and has won praise from activists.

While these national and global currents surround his mother, Adrian Pesimo plays on regardless. He is seen toying with a handful of 1 peso coins that have been given to him by his mother’s equally-poor co-petitioners. They are probably unaware –or possibly they are simply all too aware of just how many of each is needed to buy just one contraceptive which would allow them and so many others to claim just a fleeting, momentary control of their lives for the first time ever. Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project

(The author is a freelance reporter specializing on women, children, reproductive health and religious issues.)