Francoise Drevon

“A woman with a voice is by definition, a strong woman.” – Melinda Gates

Embracing the diversity, beauty, and strength of women, March marks the National Women’s Month and is part of the worldwide observance of International Women’s Day. It is said that Women’s Month is when we celebrate the achievements of women, but what signifies the importance of Women’s Month? Why is there a need to commemorate women in the first place?

It is said that Women’s Month is when we celebrate the achievements of women, but what signifies the importance of Women’s Month? Why is there a need to commemorate women in the first place?

Simply put, Women’s Month is celebrated to address gender inequality.  To think that women make up half of the world’s population, it is ironic that they represent one of the largest minorities spread across the globe. National Women’s Month challenges this stigma because it increases the consciousness and knowledge of women’s history – to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will come where gender stigmas are denied and that women are seen as strong equal contributors to society.

Although it is true that gender parity exists in high-level corporate firms, this does not apply to local and rural communities. More than 10 million Filipino women still live today in poverty, with rural and indigenous women being the most vulnerable. Even though International Labor Organization recorded that more jobs were created for Filipinas in 2013, Rappler states that the employment rate of women still stands at 46.7%, significantly lower than men at 72.9% (2014). Women also still face certain disadvantages in terms of benefits, wages, and underemployment.

While the world celebrates a seemingly woman-friendly Philippines, the number of Violence against Women (VAW) cases reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP) has increased by over 500% in the past 16 years. Rodriguez (2015) states that VAW is linked with the unequal power relationship between women and men, resulting from society’s misinformed views on gender and sexuality. Men are traditionally labeled as leaders and providers, while women are seen as nurturers and supporters. This perception leads to men gaining more power over women, and that VAW is a form of men’s expression of controlling women to retain power (Rodriguez, 2015). Until this second, women and girls still continue to experience different forms of abuse every day.

These pressing issues emphasize the importance of National Women’s Month in this largely patriarchal society. Most prominent in today’s time, we need to do our part on creating a collective action to recognize the challenges women go through every day. Women’s Month not only celebrateswomen’s equality, but most importantly promotes it.  What makes men and women unequal is a centuries-long social history of treating them differently, which we need to overcome.  Women’s Month is not meant to promote women over men, or facetiously “celebrate just how equal we are”. It is meant to acknowledge that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.  

Both women and men, young and old, must be educated about human rights, women and gender issues, and the roles they play in ending discrimination. Women’s Month marks the best time to advocate and bring these issues to the forefront. The more informed men and women are, the more empowered women will be.

In line with National Women’s Month, France – Philippines United Action (FPUA) is happy to announce that a project focusing on empowering women through livelihood engagement in FPUA rehabilitation site in Bogo, Cebu, will start this year.

After typhoon Haiyan devastated the Visayas region of the Philippines on November 8, 2013, France-Philippines United Action Foundation (FPUA) built three housing rehabilitation sites (villages) for the victim families in Northern Cebu in Daanbantayan and Bogo. Today, FPUA has more than 1200 beneficiaries living in these three sites.

FPUA recognizes the lack of jobs and opportunities for women from its rehabilitation sites. On FPUA rehabilitation site in Bogo, it was recorded that there are only four households where both parents work. Most women just stay at home and do domesticated work even if they also want to earn.  Based on a community needs assessment conducted in 2018, livelihood and education are priority requirements for the 46 households of FPUA site in Bogo. The study further cited that livelihood will empower the community to provide for their own education and health requirement.

Through the development of sustainable livelihood and micro-enterprises, the project aims to help 50 women to have an increased income, improved access, provision, and control to resources, opportunities, and benefits, and aim to create an environment where women-led micro enterprises can grow by mainstreaming Gender Equality at community level.

Empowering a woman sparks a journey that not only changes her life, but influences the lives of her family and community too. Through this project, we hope to strengthen the voices of the women and to gear new opportunities for them to discover.

To know more about the project proposal, please contact us at info@fpua.ph or at 831-6374 local 109.

Reference

• Balagot, M. (2018, June 6). Women empowerment in the Philippine workplace. Retrieved from https://www.bworldonline.com/women-empowerment-in-the-philippineworkplace/

• INFOGRAPHIC: Where do women work? (2014). Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/whipit/53365-infographic-where-women-work/

• Rodriguez, F. (2015, September 1). Violence against women: Sex, power, abuse. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/gender-issues/85640-women-girls-violence-ph

It is no secret that education has the potential to change lives. For one, it opens great opportunities for the youth and it cultivates their potentials. Education is one of the strongest predictors of employment as it continues to be the cornerstone of job preparation and empowerment.

It is not only a way to attain success, but more importantly to escape poverty. Yet for millions of children and youth in low-income countries and poor communities, an education is beyond reach. According to the 2016 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS), about 9% or 3.6 million of the estimated 39.2 million Filipinos aged 6 to 24 years old were out-of-school children and youth (OSCY) (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2018).

Although the Philippines has had remarkable progress in expanding access to basic education, Education Data of 2016 shows that about half of Filipino students are struggling to complete basic education on time (The World Bank, 2018). An alarming spike of 11% (equating to 4.8 million Filipinos) increase since 2012 has been recorded for the number of elementary and high school dropouts (Porcalla, 2017). The poor are most at risk, creating a vicious cycle of impoverishment.

Poverty is one of the main causes of Philippine’s poor education record and has affected participation in education in more ways than one. According to Mangahas (2017), every Filipino should complete at least 10 years—ideally at least 12 years—of basic education to be able to earn enough to avoid poverty. Extreme poverty is forcing more and more students out of the classroom and onto the streets of large cities, where they beg and hustle to survive. Even if education is sometimes free, more problems arise as daily expenses and allowances for the children are tight.

In hopes to fill the educational gap, sponsorships have been supported by quite a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies, foundations, corporate donors and private well-wishers. Sponsorships are one of the long-term solutions to poverty because it targets and gives the underprivileged, especially to those located in rural areas, a chance to better their future. Scholarships that assist or cover costs of pursuing education provide a number of benefits for recipients. From reducing the financial burden of the rising costs of education, to allowing students more time and energy to focus on studies rather than part-time work, scholarships are one piece in the puzzle of what creates a strong foundation for supporting students in their success in pursuing their dreams.

In line with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal #4: Education; which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; quality education has always been part of FPUA’s initiatives for the vulnerable and underprivileged communities in the Philippines.

FPUA has built three rehabilitation sites in in Daanbantayan and Bogo, Northern Cebu, for the victims of typhoon Haiyan which accommodates more than 1200 beneficiaries today.

With the support of its company partners, FPUA continues supporting the three communities with the objective of helping them achieve self-sustainability through programs in Education, Health, Livelihood, and Environment.

FPUA’s currently provides scholarships for high school students from the rehabilitation sites in Daanbantayan. Since the launch of the program in 2017, the scholars are enrolled in one of the best private school in the municipality.

The program has already proven both its necessity and effectiveness. Opening new perspectives on their future, the quality education the students receive is motivating them to study hard so they could uplift their family conditions and achieve their dreams of becoming engineers, doctors, teachers, or whichever profession they would want to take.

 Take part of our initiative and help in our cause for quality education!

• Sponsor 1 FPUA high school scholar for 1 year (renewable until the scholar finishes high school) for only Php 32,000

• You can also sponsor a batch of scholars and accompany them until high school graduation and even further!

You can choose the number of scholars you are interested to sponsor and for how many years.

For more information,

References

• Mangahas, M. (2017, March 11). Poor children should finish high school.

• Nine Percent of Filipinos Aged 6 to 24 years are Out of School (Results from the 2017 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey). (2018, June 06). Retrieved January 17, 2019, from https://psa.gov.ph/content/nine-percent-filipinos-aged-6-24-years-are-out-poverty-indicators

• Porcalla, D. (2017, June 25). Number of elementary, high school dropouts rising – lawmaker.

• The Philippines Alternative Learning System: A Second Chance to Develop the Human Capital of Out-of-School Youth and Adults. (2018, September 20).

While the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” (Republic Act 11148) has just been signed by President Duterte, FPUA had the pleasure of accompanying Nutriset on FPUA sites for an initial meeting with the communities of Daanbantayan and Bogo.

The future of these communities is based on the good health of its individuals, particularly pregnant and lactating women, and young children. With the assistance of Nutriset, nutritional solutions can be provided for the “first 1000 days” period of the life covered by the Republic Act 11148.

The term “first 1,000 days” refers to the period from conception to two years of the child. During this period, the child is particularly vulnerable not only because of his natural fragility and his dependence on adults but also because the environment around him, and sometimes the aggression, will influence his future health.

The visit of Nutriset has confirmed the need of “first 1000 days” interventions, supported by evidence from community members that some of their children are stunted and others are reported malnourished. The efforts of the local governments are acknowledged. Short feeding programs have already shown positive results on the children, however so much more need to be done on the long-term.

An independent French family-owned company, Nutriset is a key player in the fight against malnutrition, recognized for its expertise in research in nutrition, the design and manufacture of food products with high nutritional value. Nutriset collaborates with the United Nations, governments, NGOs, academic institutions and civil society – with a unique mandate: to contribute to nutritional autonomy for all.

Since the completion of the rehabilitation sites, FPUA focuses on developing programs in education, health, environment and livelihood. Good nutrition is critical for child physical and mental development as it affects learning and earning capacity and thus education and livelihood opportunities. As FPUA’s goal is to build long-term strong and sustainable FPUA communities, the development of nutrition programs are essentials.

With your support, FPUA can facilitate the implementation of “first 1000 days” projects in the communities of Daanbantayan and Bogo. Awareness raising actions on good hygiene and food practices are already in place, but can be strengthened. Access to specialized products, such as those Nutriset has developed especially for a “first 1000 days” approach, may be possible thanks to your generosity and your contributions.

Contact us now at info@fpua.ph to know more about the opportunity to build strong children.

Visit Nutriset website here to know the full range of their products.