The study on Linking Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Population, Health, Environment (PHE) and Climate Change (CC) Initiatives on Women and Fishers in the Philippines was conducted by PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc. with support from the Asian‐Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women to determine the following: awareness/knowledge on CC; interlinkages of SRHR, PHE and CC; benefits of integration and; the factors and actions towards CC resiliency. The study area is the Philippines which ranks one of the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change phenomenon and severely suffered from extreme weather events along with Haiti in 2012. Methodologies include focus group discussions with women and fishers in selected fishing communities in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) marine bioregion and in‐depth interviews with key local and national decision/policymakers and stakeholders.
Findings indicate that women and the fishers are aware of climatic changes and have long been experiencing its impacts. They understand SRHR as it relates to family planning, reproductive health and responsible parenthood. While this does not fully describe the embodiment of SRHR adapted as defined by UN, WHO, ICPD, the respondents expressed that SRHR is needed to adapt to climate change impacts because their family’s health, children’s education and coastal resource and environment conservation will be given more attention. They believe the climate change is inevitable and will adversely affect the coastal/environment resources which they depend for food and livelihood. Results also show that the added pressures posed by climate change are more challenging for families with many children and fisher households. The added pressures brought about by climate change also highlight the burden on the woman as a result of the complex factors making her vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The women and fishers in VIP call on the leaders for good governance, to recognize and support practical and integrated solutions that addresses the unmet need for sexual and reproductive health service, poor health, loss of biodiversity (environment) and climate change. All of which undermine a health body and a healthy environment ‐ critical elements to climate change resilient
communities and a better future for their children.
