Interfaith group tells churches to protect women's rights

Mar 03, 2016

MANILA: A group of Filipino women from various faiths in the Philippines have called on churches to act as a "protector of women's rights" during a two-day assembly marking Women's Month.

"The church of any religion should act as a protector of the rights of women, including those who don't belong to any religion," Maryknoll Sister Nenita Tapia said.

She was speaking at a gathering of Catholic, Protestant and Muslim women theologians, which aimed "to celebrate unity as women of faith transcending religious differences."

"It is time for all Filipino women to unite and set aside their religious dissimilarity," said Macrina Morados, dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines.

She said women should "fight gender inequality by going beyond faith and looking on gender itself as grounds for unity."

Several Catholic women said it was time for women "to impose their demands on the government."

Luz Francess Chua, executive director of the group, Catholics for Reproductive Health, said one of their demands is reproductive health services for all.

"We will not wait for the government to hand to us on a silver platter what we ask," Chua said.

"Because we are women, we know what is best for us and we will not rest until we have fully achieved our vision of a better world for everyone," she added.

The women's group has been protesting a government decision to cut the budget for the implementation of the controversial Reproductive Health Law that was supposed to provide basic reproductive health services to poor women.

The Rev. Erahvilla Maga-Cabillas of the Philippine Independent Church said the assembly of women of faith "aims to encourage the government and society as a whole to be more women-friendly."

"The government should pass laws that will give women more opportunities and access to resources," said Cabillas.

Data from the Philippine Commission on Women shows that in 2013, the Philippines ranked fifth out of 136 countries on the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap report.--ucannews.com