Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Sunday, March 7 asserted that Filipino women and the people’s “bayanihan” spirit will play a crucial role in the country’s road to recovery from COVID-19.

“Women and our bayanihan spirit should reign for the Filipino family to truly rise up from this pandemic,” said Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender, for this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day.

“The pandemic only exacerbated the burdens women already carry. If we want to wholly recover from this crisis, we need to band together to better support our women,” Hontiveros stressed.

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), the senator pointed out that majority of the health workforce, not only in the Philippines, but also in the whole world, is comprised of women, with 70 percent of them making up the social workforce.

Likewise, Hontiveros cited a WHO 2019 study which also showed that investments in the health workforce could lead to women’s economic empowerment.

While majority of healthcare workers are women, she said studies show they earn 28 percent less on average than men.

“If we can strengthen the benefits and the support for each of them, the whole world can recover faster from this pandemic,” she said.

Because of this, Hontiveros and other women senators, will be filing a bill calling for a gender-responsive and inclusive protocols to address gender-differentiated needs of women during COVID-19, and other public health concerns, emergencies and disasters.

“Patong-patong na ang bigat na dala ng ating mga babae—mga nanay, nars, guro, domestic workers at iba pa. Akayin natin kami. Maging bayani tayo para sa isa’t isa, (The responsibilities that women carry are now overwhelming—for the mothers, nurses, teachers, domestic workers and others. Let us carry each other. Let’s be heroes for each other),” the senator stressed.