08 March 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, in celebration of National Women’s Month, conducted today an online talk entitled “Talakayan sa Konsulado: Bida si Juana sa Panahon ng Pandemya” with Dr. Jennefer Salas, a Filipina doctor and GAD advocate based in Germany, as guest speaker. Labor Attaché Atty. Delmer Cruz and Consul Rogelio Villanueva also participated with presentations on the Philippine government’s response against covid-19 with a focus on programs and services for women. The activity was conducted via Zoom and Facebook live.

 

Dr. Salas, who is an OB-GYNE and an assistant doctor in a Berlin hospital, underscored the vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls especially during the COVID-19 crisis, why protecting sexual and reproductive health and women’s rights, and ending the shadow pandemic of gender-based violence is imperative.

 

In her remarks, Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia thanked Dr. Salas for imparting her experience with gender and health-related issues. She also underscored the fact that “COVID-19 affects women significantly and is the reason why the availability of proper advice to cope with their predicament is crucial, whether they are in the health services sector, in the corporate world or as homemakers.” She added, “women must now take a leadership role in combatting this pandemic and encouraged the participants to share their views, experiences and ideas in further promoting gender equality and women’s rights.”END