An extensive research study on the health requirements of Filipino migrant workers has won the inaugural APEC Healthy Women Healthy Economies award. The award was released this year by APEC host economy Chile to raise awareness and promote the health of women in the Asia-Pacific.
” Winning this is very meaningful to me and to my economy. It is a very crucial method to acknowledge the research study on abroad Filipino employees,” said Dr Veronica Ramirez, Assistant Professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific in the Philippines and author of the winning study. Due to the fact that overseas Filipino workers make massive contributions to both the Philippines and to their host economies, “we need policies (on how) we can keep them healthy,” she added.
The award ceremony followed a discussion by the 3 finalists at the APEC Women and the Economy Forum, happening from 30 September to 5 October in La Serena, Chile.
The work of the prize finalists show the variety of obstacles facing females in the Asia-Pacific. The problems of juggling work and child care were highlighted by the research study of Paula Poblete from Chile, while the study of Dr Hong Jiang from Chinas Fudan University advocated for childbirth procedures that enable ladies to recuperate with less discomfort and injury.
Women make up half of the regions workforce yet typically lack sufficient health care compared to men. For instance, the Healthy Women Healthy Economies Policy toolkit reports that twice as many ladies in the region who suffer heart attacks die within a year, compared to males. Poor health can limit womens opportunities to flourish.
Judges picked Dr Ramirezs research study partially since it highlighted the role of migrant workers, who are frequently integral to many APEC economies. Carolina Cuevas, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for Women and the Economy, or PPWE, who chaired the 2019 Prize Committee, applauds all the finalists for their contributions.
” The diversity we see in the finalists is a fantastic representation of the variety in our APEC economies. Far from being an impediment, these differences frequently permit us to look at problems from different viewpoints,” said Cuevas, who also serves as Undersecretary for Chiles Ministry of Women and Gender Equity.
When females are healthy and getting involved fully in the labor force, Undersecretary Cuevas reminded the audience that societies and economies benefit. When female participation in the workforce is optimal, the GDP of economies broaden– by 5 percent for the United States and by 9 percent for Japan, according to the International Monetary Fund. Recognizing that women are vital for achieving inclusive development, host economy Chile has raised womens financial empowerment as a crucial top priority for APEC.
The Healthy Women Healthy Economies Prize, supported by leading science and innovation business Merck, looked for research that uses sex-disaggregated information to assist decision-makers establish more evidence-based policies associated with womens health.
” Data that demonstrates how policies impact males and ladies in a different way can assist usher in reforms that improve ladiess health and ultimately their financial empowerment,” stated Randall Bradford, Head of Human Resources Merck Healthcare. “Better health for households, communities, and women enhance the way we work, and consequently, the regional economy.”
The winning entry gets USD 20,000 and the two runners-up receive USD 5,000 each.
Because its inception in 2014, the APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative has actually improved womens health through public-private collaborations. One crucial result has been the cross-sector cooperation in producing the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Policy Toolkit — a compendium of the concerns, actions, and carrying out components for enhancing womens health throughout five locations. The areas are: workplace health and wellness; health awareness and access; reproductive and sexual health; gender-based violence; and work/life balance.
For additional information on the work of the finalists and on getting the 2020 Prize, please check out the APEC Healthy Women Healthy Economies website.
For further information, please contact:
Dini Sari Djalal +65 9137 3886 at dsd@apec.org
Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org
More on APEC conferences, events, publications and projects can be found on www.apec.org. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook, LinkedIn.
This content was initially released here.

The Healthy Women Healthy Economies Policy toolkit reports that two times as numerous ladies in the area who suffer heart attacks pass away within a year, compared to guys. Poor health can limit femaless opportunities to thrive.
Undersecretary Cuevas reminded the audience that economies and societies benefit when ladies are healthy and getting involved fully in the workforce. Acknowledging that ladies are vital for accomplishing inclusive growth, host economy Chile has raised femaless financial empowerment as a crucial concern for APEC.
Because its beginning in 2014, the APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative has improved womens health through public-private collaborations.