The Missing Link in Accessible Family Planning Service Delivery
Elizabeth Angsioco National Chair, DSWP National Family Planning Conference Novotel QC, November 22, 2016
is a national federation of more than 260 community and sector-based women’s organizations in 14 regions of the country. Our membership is one of our strengths & we are able to mobilize community women for the core issues that the federation works on. So far, the DSWP, together with other organizations have had successes in its work.
1.
Community women have taken big, important roles in the many years of advocacy for the passage of the RH law.
2.
They see FP as a crucial service that must be made available to those who need and want to use them BUT,
In many communities, women still are significantly uninformed about FP & do not know how to access the services.
FP services have been implemented in the country for more than 50 years. Yet, over all, 1. 2.
CPR for modern FP methods remain low. Unmet need remains high.
What are we doing wrong?
1.
Have professional service providers & commodities & things will fall into place.
Service providers are not expected to do demand generation.
2.
Because women need FP services, they will go & access it.
Providers wait in the centers & clinics The need to do demand generation & community preparation are neglected.
3.
Poor, community women are beneficiaries of the RH law & thus, they are not part of the SDN.
The SDN is missing out on the services of community women. Capacities of community women are ignored. There is little support, if at all for initiatives led by communities.
We need to get out of the box and try new approaches.
1. RH and FP education forums on RH & FP; seminars on SRHR; FP leaders’ training; community-based Usapang RH where targeted WRA participate so they realize the importance of RH & family planning; & community-based FP sessions where identified women with unmet needs are invited
2. Organizing of the Community Bantay RH (CBRH) groups collectives of women in Barangays who are trained to assist other WRA in their areas in their non-technical RH & FP needs;
CBRH members go around their communities talking with their neighbors, friends, & family members looking for those with unmet needs for FP & helping them access the services they need and/or want.
3. Networking with public and private local FP service providers helps develop local service delivery network (SDN) puts in place a simple referral system that can be used by the CBRH members in accessing FP services for community women develops cooperation among local women's groups & service providers in the provision of FP services.
4. Community-based FP service delivery –
conducts of FP services sessions where WRA with unmet needs are gathered in communities where the services are brought to them;
Conduct of RH fairs where hundreds of couples/women/young people are gathered for FP information and services;
individual referrals brought by CBRH members to service providers esp. IUD, BTL.
Non-support from/non-acceptance of some LGUs – CSOs seen as competition
There is, at best, minimal support for community women’s operations/activities
The need to do both community mobilization/demand generation & service provision to maximize opportunities
1.
Community women when trained & supported can play an important role in FP service provision to poor community WRA.
2.
CSOs can do both community mobilization/demand generation & FP service delivery.
3.
CSOs are instrumental in reaching hard to reach WRA, providing services that government is limited or prohibited from rendering.
Community women should be actively involved in direct community interventions on RH & FP need the active leadership and participation of.
Support for community women’s projects and initiatives in addressing unmet need for family planning is necessary.
Maximize CSO capacities, expertise, strategies, & networks to reach more people, & conduct FP services that government is limited or prohibited from doing.
LGU & CSO collaboration is ideal & where possible, should be done. However, when LGUs are not keen, CSO programs independently of LGUs should also be supported.
Community women are generally receptive of FP for as long as they are educated on the methods & their apprehensions are adequately responded to. FP information and services need to be brought where they are.
Quit thinking that community women, just because they are poor, are only beneficiaries of services.
They are the missing link in making FP services truly efficient & accessible. They are the untapped players in the full implementation of the RH Law. Let us recognize and support communitybased initiatives & let poor women become active players, not just passive beneficiaries.
