As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women, Organon issues a call to action for national and local leaders to create opportunities that focus on women’s health.
Global women’s health company Organon is designating International Women’s Day (IWD) as a day to recognize the growing health disparities women face which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IWD has always focused on accelerating gender parity since its inception. For its part, Organon fully supports global efforts to address women’s health. Starting with its own employees, it has announced paid time-off this year for all employees to attend to their own health needs, including the 1,000-strong team across the Asia-Pacific region. The company also invites other organizations across the region to adopt initiatives that help women prioritize their wellbeing.
The Organon Philippines Team
Gender Roles and Women’s Health
“In the Philippines, our mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandmother are so important to the household and the community and this is probably why they delay care for themselves,” says Emman Tiglao, Organon Commercial Director, Philippines. “Women also represent the majority of caregivers for children and adults, and in the process, they adjust their own needs for the family’s sake and eventually neglect their own personal growth and leave the workforce entirely. This is a dilemma that so many Filipinas face every day. They always put others ahead of themselves.”
Andreas D. Joergensen, Managing Director, South, East and Southeast Asia, explains, “A recent study found that 44% of older women said they waited until a health symptom became urgent before scheduling an appointment—and that number jumps to 62% for women aged 20-34. This is what Organon is hoping to change and why we are asking organizations to join us to raise awareness of the inequity in women’s health and be part of the solution.”
Impact on Women and Society
For too long, women have been told to just grin and bear it. Conditions such as heavy, painful and irregular menstrual bleeding, incontinence, and menopause are considered common and normal incidences in life.
Carole Lopez, Organon Market Access, Policy, Communications Lead, adds, “Safe contraceptives and reproductive health information are also needs that remain mostly unmet especially in resource-poor communities. On top of that, coronary heart disease and other heart diseases, cancers, and diabetes continue to be the leading cause of death among women. All these have been further exacerbated by the pandemic and have resulted in tremendous burdens on the physical and mental health of Filipinas.”
And yet for every crisis, there is a real opportunity to take transformative action. In partnership with its stakeholders, Organon seeks to be a driver of change towards a thriving, stable, and resilient society wherein healthy women are the backbone. By providing paid time-off on March 8th, the company believes it can encourage employees to focus on their health or the health of the women in their lives.
“We want to change society’s mindset, and the ability to identify diseases earlier and modify health outcomes. We urge everyone to make women’s health a priority,” says Tiglao.
As a company invested in innovation to improve the health of women everywhere, Organon encourages Filipinos to visit hereforherhealth.com/make-time for more information and to share their perspectives on how International Women’s Day can be used to help prioritize Her Health.
ADVT