Project profile — Sexual Health and Empowerment - Philippines

• Philippines (100.00%)

• Population policy and administrative management:
Population policy and administrative management (13010) (40.00%)
Reproductive health care (13020) (10.00%)
Family planning (13030) (40.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (10.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (principal objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Urban issues (significant objective)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)
• Nutrition (significant objective)

The project aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls in remote and conflict-affected regions in the Philippines. The project is supporting the Government of the Philippines in its fight against coronavirus (COVID-19), by addressing the heightened vulnerabilities of women and girls to unwanted pregnancies and gender-based violence (GBV) during the pandemic. The project aims to expand ongoing outreach services through mobile clinics for obstetric, prenatal, and postnatal care, including family planning (FP) services. These outreach services also aim to cover the procurement of dignity kits and FP commodities. The project also works to augment existing response activities, such as the procurement of personal protective equipment, the establishment of a SRHR and GBV emergency hotline, and the distribution of COVID-19 information materials. Project activities include: (1) increasing the knowledge, skills, and capacities of women, girls, and boys; (2) working with influencers to change negative social norms on SRHR and gender-based violence (GBV); and (3) enhancing the capacity of the health system to provide comprehensive and gender-sensitive health information and services. The project is supporting local women’s rights organizations in improving their organizational capacity, and their ability to conduct learning and research initiatives in support of SRHR and GBV advocacies and policies at the national and local levels. Through the project, over 86,400 women and girls, as well as men and boys, are expected to benefit from improved quality, availability, and access to SRH information and services, in line with the implementation of the Philippine Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced utilization of gender-sensitive sexual and reproductive health information and services (public and private) by women of reproductive age, adolescent girls, and boys in remote conflict affected and disadvantage regions; and (2) improved effectiveness of women’s rights organizations to advance rights related to sexual and reproductive health and prevention of gender-based violence in remote, conflict-affected and disadvantaged regions.

Results achieved as of the end of the project in August 2022 include: (1) procured and distributed 8,991 hygiene kits to women and girls. The kits contained underwear, sanitary napkins, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, hand towel and malong (a fabric used as a garment or skirt). The distributions took place during community learning sessions and outreach activities in partnership with barangay officials and trained peer educators; (2) procured and distributed 30,936 pieces of contraceptives such as (4,666 progestin sub-dermal implants and 26,270 condoms) in public health facilities. 5,741 individuals received the contraceptive of mostly women and girls; and (3) outreach activities conducted in partnership with the project’s trained health service providers. These activities brought crucial services closer to its clients, especially during community lockdowns. Also 2,925 women and girls received family planning counselling and services during these activities.

• Proactive disclosure