Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Philippines - Response to COVID-19

The project aims to lessen the damages caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on poor and marginalized women and girls in Manila and surrounding areas. Aligned with the Government of the Philippines’ pandemic response the project works to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls by improving the delivery of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services and the response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Project activities include: (1) improving access to comprehensive SRHR services for women and girls by providing family planning ante-natal and post-natal services screening for sexually transmitted infections SGBV detection and counselling and cervical cancer screening and treatment; (2) organizing capacity building for local women’s rights organizations (WROs) and better coordination of WROs civil society organizations community mobilizers (CMs) and community health providers (CHPs) who work to lead community outreach and education activities; (3) providing training to clinic staff CMs and CHPs to better detect SGBV offering counselling and providing referrals in-person online or through a telehealth system; (4) disseminating COVID-19 information and resources by CMs and CHPs; and (5) engaging clinic staff with community leaders and government stakeholders to better coordinate information sharing and SRHR SGBV and COVID-19 responses. The project expects to benefit 60 460 community members including 54 353 women and girls in Metro Manila and surrounding areas particularly affected by the pandemic.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved delivery of SRHR services to women and girls in Metro Manila and surrounding areas effected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) improved response to SGBV in Metro Manila and surrounding area effected by the COVID-19 pandemic.