and reiterating the need to continue supporting the establishment of rape crisis centers as directed by RA 8505. B. Women affected by disasters, calamities, and other crisis situations The Magna Carta of Women obliges the State to ensure the protection of women affected by disasters, calamities and other crisis situations. This includes ensuring access to support and health services and protection from violence. This first half of 2021, a positive development is the movement and approval at the House of Representatives Committee level a proposed legislation that seeks to ensure a gender responsive pandemic and crisis response. The proposed legislation seeks to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in government responses to crisis, to ensure participation of women, the provision of gendered needs and services, including protection from GBV and ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights, among others.52 The passage of this proposed legislation will also address many of the recommendations set forth in the 2nd and 3rd Quarter Gender Ombud Situation report and JMC 2020-01 of DILG and the Commission. C. Participation and Representation In view of the nearing 2022 elections, the Commission, through GEWHRC launched a voters education campaign focusing on women in the marginalized sectors. Through partnership with different organizations, webinars were organized discussing electoral processes and sectoral agenda with 6 key sectors - (1) Indigneous and rural women, (2) women with disabilities; (3) urban poor women; (4) the youth; (5) older women; (6) women migrant workers. The Lila ang kulay ng boto ko webinars also served as a venue to discuss pressing issues and priorities of sectors. It also surfaced concerns regarding the ongoing registration process and on the 2022 elections. Part of the rights protected by the Magna Carta of Women is women’s rights to participation and representation. It seeks to enhance women’s leadership and participation in governance. However, as raised during the webinars, women in the marginalized sector have specific issues and concerns regarding registration and the coming elections. Queries and issues raised by the women makes clear that one of the concerns needing immediate attention is the conduct of campaigns and elections amidst a pandemic. Many of the women raised issues on how to ensure safety from the virus when campaigns period start and more importantly, during elections itself. Questions even become more specific for sectors with comorbidities like older women and those with disabilities, as well as those distant from city centers. Aside from the very real context of the pandemic, the urgent need to make information regarding registration and election accessible to different groups of women was also stressed. Here it is important to stress the need to adopt measures to ensure access - taking into consideration the specific vulnerabilities of women with disabilities, of women in GIDA areas, migrant women, urban poor etc. For 52 Cervantes, House OKs bill on gender responsive protocols amidst pandemic. PIA. 1 July 2021. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145630 (accessed on 31 August 2021) 13