90 Rights and Empowerment 5. Right to Participation and Representation (Sec. 25) Section 25 of the MCW mandates that the State shall ensure the participation of grassroots women leaders in decision making bodies in their respective sectors including but not limited to the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) and its local counterparts; community based resource management bodies or mechanisms on forest management and stewardship; the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) and its local counterparts; the National Commission on Indigenous People; the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor; the National AntiPoverty Commission; and, where applicable, the local housing boards. Women’s participation in the alleviation of poverty and promotion of growth cannot be ignored such that rural women are given the right to own and control land. They also have substantive equality with men as qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof, and to be represented in advisory or appropriate decisionmaking bodies. These rights shall be independent of their male relatives and of their civil status. They, especially at the grassroots level, shall as well be given the opportunity to participate in the development planning and implementation of R.A. 9700. And as an agrarian reform beneficiary her sex, economic, religious, social, cultural and political attributes shall not adversely affect the distribution of lands.141 Indigenous women are also given equal enjoyment of rights and opportunities with men not only on social, economic but as well political and cultural spheres of life. They shall be accorded due respect and recognition in their participation in the decision-making process in all levels, as well as in the development of society.142 6. Right in relation to Social protection (sec. 27) This section provides for the following rights and 141 See secs. 1 and 5, RA 9700. 142 Sec. 26(1), RA 8371. empowerment (1) For SSS and PhilHealth to support indigenous and community-based social protection schemes;(2) institution of policies and programs that seek to reduce poverty by promoting and protecting livelihood and employment; (3) enactment of bilateral and multilateral agreements to reduce and eventually eliminate costs of remittances; (4) establishment of health insurance program for senior citizens; (5) support women with disabilities on a community based social protection scheme. To implement the above provision the Section 30 of IRR of the MCW elaborates the different tasks of National Government Agencies. SSS and the PhilHealth shall support indigenous and community-based social protection schemes. Said agencies shall consult with NCIP and other concerned agencies and ensure that marginalized women not covered by the SSS and PhilHealth shall be able to access special packages developed for their benefit. They shall conduct regular review and consultations among stakeholders to ensure that the benefit packages are responsive and the premiums are affordable to the marginalized sectors. A. The State shall institute policies and programs that seek to reduce the poverty and vulnerability to risks and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalized women by promoting and protecting livelihood and employment, protecting against hazards and sudden loss of income, and improving people’s capacity to manage risks. It shall likewise use the list of poor households generated by the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) as reference in identifying priority beneficiaries of the social protection programs of government. In this regard: B. The State shall endeavor to reduce and eventually eliminate transfer costs of remittances from abroad through appropriate bilateral and multilateral agreements. It shall likewise provide access to investment opportunities for remittances in line with national development efforts. C. The State, through the PhilHealth and LGUs, shall establish a health insurance program for senior citizens and indigents. CHR Gender Ombud Guidelines