Overall, women in the Philippines are subject to less paid work or unpaid domestic work; their work is often unprotected and women carry the additional burden of household and child care. In addition, they are exposed to pervasive discrimination which includes lack of social protection simply due to less access and opportunities to take on formal wage employment.28 3.2 CEDAW ARTICLE 12 – Access to Health Care and Nutrition The right to health is intrinsically linked to RTFN. The right to health is not only confined to access to adequate and affordable health care, but to a wide range of socioeconomic factors that promote conditions for people to lead a healthy life. This extends to the underlying determinants of health, such as food and nutrition, housing, access to safe and potable water, adequate sanitation, safe and healthy working conditions, and a healthy environment. These determinants are as essential to the realization of the RTFN as nutrition. Women who suffer unequal access to basic health facilities and reproductive health services are often also those who are deprived of nutritious diets, denied clean drinking water and sanitation, and also face deplorable living and working conditions. 3.2.1. Legal framework Several provisions of the Constitution (e.g. Article II/Section 15 and Article XIII/Sections 11 to 14) guarantee the right to health and the welfare of women. The National Objectives for Health (2011-2016) set all the health program goals toward the achievement of universal health care (“Kalusugan Pangkalahatan”- KP) and Reproductive Health and Responsible Parenthood Act (RPRH Law) enacted in 2013 integrates sexual and reproductive health and rights education in the primary and secondary school curricula, as well as in courses offered in higher educational institutions.29 Despite such efforts, a holistic understanding of the intrinsic links between health, nutrition, food, socioeconomic status and gender is missing. This situation will impact upon the RTFN of women in the Philippines. 3.2.2. Access to health care Access to modern health care is denied to many rural women and Indigenous Peoples (IP) living in remote areas due to lack of available health personnel, services and facilities, lack of financial means to pay for treatment and transportation to health centers, and also due to prevailing social norms and patriarchal attitudes30. These health centers are more easily found in urban than rural areas and often expensive as they are private31, forcing people to rely on local or traditional healers, thereby exposing mothers and children to increased infant and maternal health risks. In general, IPs have high infant and maternal mortality rates, for example, the Aetas of Mount Pinatubo and the Lumads of Mindanao.32 3.2.3. Access to sexual and reproductive health An additional concern that impacts women’s rights and their RTFN relates to abortion. The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reports that 25% of Filipino women start to engage in sex before 18. Lack of access to comprehensive sex education and contraceptive supplies increases the risk of unintended teen pregnancy. This situation exacerbates the already precarious situation of these pregnant women as the young women’s growing bodies compete with their fetus’ development with dire results for both. About 2 million Filipino girls and women had unintended pregnancy in 2008.33 This was primarily due to women’s limited access to reproductive health services, supported by the strong opposition of various powerful segments of Filipino society, in particular, the Catholic Church. 28 Ibid. CEDAW (2016): List of issues and questions in relation to the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of the Philippines, 16, http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1019&Lang=en [Accessed 13.05.2016]. 30 CEDAW (2016): General recommendation No. 34 on the rights of rural women, 10, http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/1_Global/INT_CEDAW_GEC_7933_E.pdf [Accessed: 17.05.2016]. 31 Cariño, Joji (2005): Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Poverty. In: Indigenous Perspectives, No. 3:1, 36-39. 32 Cariño, Jacqueline K (2012): Country Technical Note of Indigenous Peoples’ Issues. Republic of the Philippines. IFAD/AIPP, 8, https://www.ifad.org/documents/10180/0c348367-f9e9-42ec-89e9-3ddbea5a14ac [Accessed: 15.05.2016]. 33 Hussain, Rubina; Finer, Lawrence B. (2013): Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion in the Philippines: context and consequences, In Brief, No.3. New York: Guttmacher Institute, http://www. guttmacher.org/pubs/IB-unintendedpregnancy-philippines.pdf [Accessed: 12.05.2016]. 29 -5-