March 31, 2022 — The UP Manila celebrations of the annual Women’s Month over the years were dedicated to programs designed to shore up the female gender’s evaluation and ideation of itself, how to protect itself from monsters created by society, how to nourish itself in a world that still sees them as a step lower than man in value. 

Slowly, said activities changed the community for the better. The past two years’ pandemic experiences with women leaders cemented what they can accomplish to help people survive. 

This year, the national focus is on the theme, “Agenda ng Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran”. At the virtual Women’s Month Opening Ceremony on 1 March 2022,  Chancellor Carmencita D. Padilla stated in her speech that “the general challenge is to keep the majority of women in a higher place of existence.” 

Women and girls are more aware of their worth and are willing to fight for their rights (human, including both reproductive and sexual health), but how do we keep the momentum moving forward?  A big challenge, but this is what the rest of the month’s activities will help the community determine. Chancellor Padilla also urged women and girls to remain vigilant over their gains. 

For UP Manila, one of these concrete gains is the launch of the PGH Division of Sexual Health in 2021. This was the topic of Keynote Speaker and chief of the said Division, Dr. Sherri Ann L. Suplido in her talk, “Institutionalizing Sexual Health for Women and Girls in UP Manila.” 
 

The PGH Division of Sexual Health is the first of its kind in the country. It is the ninth subspecialty unit under the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  It cares not only for the sexual and reproductive health of women, but also those of other genders from all colors of the LGBTQ rainbow. The latter group, especially, experience gender discrimination which makes many of them hesitant to go to clinics and hospitals for proper care and advice. 

Dr. Suplido elucidated on the unit’s services; sexuality and its importance to the individual and society; the necessity of broadmindedness in giving sexual and reproductive counseling; transgender health care, and the unit’s major advocacies. (For more on the Division, please see First Sexual Health Clinic in the Philippines launched and its accompanying video.)

After the launch of Women’s Month, other units made their own offerings: Center for Gender and Women Studies’ (CGWS’s) E-Slogan Contest posted inspirational quotes from women achievers on its social media (together with CAS); College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) did a webinar/book launch (“Mga Babaeng Palaban: Ang Kasaysayan ng Kilusang Pangkababaihan sa mga Piling Bansa sa Timog Silangang Asya”); College of Pharmacy offered an eclectic choice of events—a TikTok competition, “Treasures of Wisdom for Women”, two webinars, and an “Orkestra Para Kay Juana” (a collaboration with the UPM-School of Health Sciences Leyte);    College of Public Health, for its March Flag Ceremony featured some of its alumni in “Women in Public Health: Advancing Health for Sustainable Development”; Human Resource Development Office held a webinar on “Civil Service Commission Expanded Maternity Leave Benefit: Amendment to Omnibus Rules on Leave (Expanded Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, and Adoption Leave)”; and the Philippine General Hospital had a line-up of activities under its 2022 Program for Women’s Health & Wellness.

The Women’s Month celebrations in UP Manila were organized by the CGWS together with the University units and their Gender Focal Point Persons. The CGWS is currently headed by Dir. Leilanie Apostol-Nicodemus. 

Fedelynn Jemena | Published in the UP Manila Healthscape Issue No. 37 (March 2022)