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Getting the Ball Rolling for the Feminist Revolution of Sexual and Reproductive Health
and Rights: A Necessary Precursor for Societal Development
​ Every single day, a woman bears the injustice of inequality in the access to sexual and
reproductive health and rights. It seems horribly normalized, trivialized, and even pushed into
the sidelines as a non-priority for most duty bearers; they do not regard SRHR as a significant
issue instrumental in societal development. This is reflected in the daily lived experiences of
women and the marginalized sectors in society, even more, exacerbated by double
marginalization and entrenched gender norms that still hinder women from fully participating
in societal circles. Addressing this harrowing reality, whose urgency is yet to be fully
unveiled in the eyes of the general public, Dr. Maria Tanyag’s Global Politics of Sexual and
Reproductive Health probes SRHR's everyday inequalities and how governments have failed
to tackle this issue, especially during crises, utilizing a feminist International Relations (IR)
perspective. I look back on what transpired during the book launch, which was conducted at
the university, and the reflections that ensued from the event.
​ Hearing about this event from fellow students, I have looked forward to it due to my
engagement with an organization centered around creating spaces for young people to attain
their SRHR. Knowing that this discourse has also reached our university's confines, I knew I
had to engage with the conversations and look for possible entry points into our research
undertaking on Sexual and Gender-based Violence, cognizant of the intersectionality of both
topics. I traipsed to the venue bearing with me the excitement of the genesis of SRHR
discussions in academia.
When I entered the venue for this event, I was struck by the sheer number of students
attending the book launch despite the otherwise cramped space. It made me look forward to
the knowledge and expertise Dr. Tanyag would impart to us, seeing how the students’ interest
in the subject matter also abounds. Utilizing the learnings that I got on the feminist theory of
international relations, it seemed like this talk would be a kind of full circle for me, applying
in praxis the discussions on IR with the advocacy that I am passionate about, which is SRHR.
It was high time that this fundamental right had to be tackled as political science students
learning about international relations and its repercussions in our daily lives.
​ Undeniably, the crucial role that SRHR plays in global peace and security remains
hidden. In a heavily securitized framework for conflict, women and their needs are most often
being turned a blind eye to; they have a near complete absence in traditional IR theory and
practice. Traditional theorists perpetuate this prevailing assumption that women’s day-to-day
lives are not impacted nor important to IR, and more harrowing is the fact that we experience
marginalization from decision-making. Despite these prevailing gender-blind assumptions,
women are routinely exposed to gendered violence.
Gender-based violence is even seen as a normal state of affairs, and this dangerous
status quo is damaging for women and girls. An exclusionary focus is being maintained, for
they consider conflicts as high politics and that the lives of women are solely peripheral.
Since women are outside these spheres of power, their contributions and lived experiences
are deemed irrelevant by these state institutions, predominantly led by men. Thus, feminism
challenges these presumptions by making women visible and highlighting women’s absence
from these decision-making tables. Feminism exposes and deconstructs socially constructed
gender norms; thus, we can identify the distribution of power in global politics, which
impacts where women are relegated.
​ Dr. Tanyag shared that one of the rationales for her book was the World Health
Organization's position statement, which states that improved SRHR is a crucial pillar of
individuals' overall health, empowerment, and human rights. If SRHR is deemed paramount,
why are SRHR concerns being put on the sidelines? Even in the Philippines, which prides
itself on its Top 5 placement in the gender equality index, and is the first ranked in Asia
despite a predominantly Catholic population, maternal deaths due to childbirth complications
have not reduced since the 1990s. The country remains among ASEAN countries with the
highest adolescent birth rates, where one out of ten Filipino babies are born to adolescent
mothers.
Moreover, one in four births to adolescent mothers was fathered by men three to five
years older than the mother, which may hint that these pregnancies are caused by sexual
abuse, with older men taking advantage of the power difference and coercing young girls
(PLCPD, 2023). The country is still struggling to address this health crisis which is a
socio-economic catastrophe with severe repercussions across generations. It hinders women
from continuing their education, could impact their capacity to earn a good living, and could
lead to poverty traps. In line with this, Dr. Tanyag also stated that pregnancy is like a death
sentence. She then looked into this as to why pregnancy seems to be a death sentence,
especially because more young girls are becoming pregnant and dying of childbirth
complications. This does not have to be the norm, and this harrowing reality must stop.
What also struck me was that key informant interviews conducted in Tacloban and
with various international and local NGOs involved in the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts and
the Bangsamoro peace process highlight the disproportionate responsibilities women often
bear during crises. Women frequently perform various essential tasks, from childcare and
distributing relief goods to securing livelihood assistance and providing religious support.
These responsibilities are compounded by unique health challenges, as women often
prioritize the care of others over their well-being. The burden of survival is particularly
intense for women in rural areas, where their roles become even more demanding during
times of crisis.
Even amidst these disasters, due to gender stereotypes that box women into certain
gender roles, they also had to sacrifice their own needs and health just to serve their families
and communities. Despite being the caregiver, they could not receive proper care themselves.
You are still expected to perform traditional gender norms even when the world around them
seems to fall apart, in times of crises and disasters where they could only look to women for
childcare and acquiring relief goods.
I was even more distraught upon hearing that in evacuation camps, women often
refrained from going to the comfort rooms themselves due to exhaustion from caring for
others. Additionally, to avoid the risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), they
avoided using shared restroom facilities. I have then realized how the burden of survival is
closely linked to worsening health outcomes for women. This marginalization is markedly
absent from the male counterparts, exposing the disproportionate impacts that conflicts and
disasters could bring to women.
Moreover, during disasters, there is often an assumption that pregnancy ceases to be a
concern, but this is not the case. Thus, national laws, like the Magna Carta for Women,
emphasize the importance of providing adequate facilities during crises. Even amidst
emergencies where women’s concerns are mostly put on the sidelines, we must also not
forget that women are facing double marginalization because of the societal roles that are
expected of them.
Contrary to popular belief, in conflict situations, incidents of sexual violence tend to
rise. Therefore, survivors of rape must have access to emergency contraception. These
individuals should not face compounded vulnerabilities. However, restrictive abortion
policies often prevent women from obtaining the care they need. The hold that religion and
cultural beliefs have on women’s SRHR is still chaining them even in times of crisis.
Providing access to emergency contraceptive pills during crises is genuinely essential, but
what we observe, even without these crises, is that there is this prevailing stigmatization
surrounding SRHR, brought by traditional patriarchal beliefs that have undeniably brought
harm to women’s health and well-being. There seems to be a blindfold that obstructs the
perspectives of our duty-bearers in addressing SRHR as an essential concern. Still, more
factors are surrounding this dynamic which led to the further subordination of women’s rights
and health.
In a critical manner that bravely confronts the dire realities that are prevailing globally
on the politics of SRHR, Dr. Tanyag has unveiled that religious fundamentalism often shapes
legitimizing narratives where religion itself is not the issue. Still, the interpretation of sacred
texts can hinder gender equality. This has led to excluding SRHR from discussions. For
instance, the Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the Philippines faced opposition due to its use
of the term "safe sex." Restrictions on SRHR are often justified as efforts to protect the poor,
a concept Dr. Tanyag calls the "benevolent development account." This approach, frequently
employed by the Catholic Church, presents a false dichotomy that misrepresents the issue.
This concept sheds light on how complicated it can be to shape social policies around
morality and poverty. While the idea of protecting vulnerable populations may appear
well-meaning, it often hides underlying issues of control and exclusion, especially concerning
SRHR. Framing the problem as a choice between supporting reproductive health and helping
the poor creates a false divide, ultimately pushing aside important discussions about rights,
equality, and access to essential services.
In a nutshell, I have then realized from the discussions that development cannot be
fully achieved without ensuring bodily autonomy. When women are confined to traditional
roles as mothers, their potential to participate meaningfully in society is significantly limited.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are crucial for enabling women’s active
political engagement and improving responses to conflict. Thus, promoting SRHR is a vital
step in supporting survivors of sexual violence and ensuring their protection and
empowerment. This book launching has challenged me to amplify further our calls for
advancing SRHR in various spheres and to take a step further in clinching victories in our
campaign to end Sexual and Gender-Based Violence by empowering individuals to attain
their fundamental human right to sexual and reproductive health.

Reference:
CPD, UNFPA, PLCPD urge passage of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill. (2024, July

17). Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development.

[Link]

vention-bill/

Tanyag, M. (2024). The Global Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health. Oxford

University Press.