Network of Asian Social Democrats

The Network would like to wish women everywhere a happy International Women’s Day (IWD).

After one century of celebrating the IWD, the United Nation IWD theme this year – Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress For All – invites us to pause, take an audit of our state of gender equality and return to the original spirit of the IWD.

As we celebrate the achievements of women around the world, not least women in Asia who have even broken the traditional glass ceilings to become heads of States in their respective countries, we are also aware of the fact that the majority of women, especially here in Asia, are still entrapped in a patriarchal framework of the society. Jobs are still categorized in traditional roles which are based on gender. Gender biases are still prevalent not least helped by the masculine regime of the Government.

Even as we ponder the accomplishments and deficiencies of the struggle for gender equality, we are reminded that we have a hundred years, and even more, of efforts behind us – we are standing on a firm foundation. Therefore, building on the legacies of those who had gone before us, we must realized that there is only one way forward, that is, moving ahead to complete the task to make equality a reality in the world.

There is no social equality without gender equality.

“Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress For All.”

Solidarity With All!

Steven Sim
Executive Secretary
Network of Social Democracy In Asia

(from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/165715/Proposed-program-wants-barangay-health-workers-trained-as-nurses-doctors)

Citing the continued exodus of Filipino doctors and nurses for jobs abroad, two lawmakers are proposing a program that would train volunteers in the barangay level as health professionals.

House Bill 6536, authored by Akbayan party-list representatives Risa Hontiveros and Walden Bello, seeks to establish the “Bibong BHW Education and Training Program” to train barangay health workers not just as midwives and physical therapists but also as doctors and nurses.

An explanatory note of the bill said tapping over 1.3 million front line workers across the nation would help address the crisis facing the Philippine health delivery system, as manifested in the closure of 200 hospitals during the past three years and partial closing of 800 more hospitals due to lack of doctors and nurses.

“That the Philippine health sector is experiencing a brain drain is no hidden fact,” said the bill, noting that between 1994 and 2003 alone around 85,000 Filipino nurses went abroad, while 3,000 doctors left the country as nurses from 2000 to 2005 and an additional 3,000 enrolled in nursing schools in 2006.

In a statement, Hontiveros also said that training local health volunteers is a better alternative to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III’s plan to import foreign health professionals to replace the 3,000 doctors who left in 2000-2005. She added that the program is not only strategically in line with other health reform bills by the government but is also timely and urgent, especially with the pandemic outbreak of the A(H1N1) virus.

For the salient features of the bill, visit http://www.akbayan.org/

by: Harris Khalique

The Awami Party in Pakistan, a nascent but emerging political force, has fielded its first candidate for the by-elections on a national assembly seat from the city of Rawalpindi.  The candidate,  Abdul Sattar, comes from the working class and a founding member of the party.   He is a trade union leader and left wing political activist for the last three decades.