Doctor makes appeal for healthier work places for women

(File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

A doctor at the Manila Medical Center (MMC) appealed to the government and employers to invest in ways to make work environments healthier for women.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Dr. Lorna Catherine Raymundo, who chairs the MMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, pointed out that many illnesses related to the workplace had been afflicting women. And yet, little had been done to make work practices friendlier to them.

“We are seeing workplace-related illnesses, and the workplace has different exposures depending on the type of work done by women,” she said.

Raymundo made her appeal as the Philippines observes the International Women’s Month this March.

About 44 percent of 4.8 million workers in Metro Manila are women, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2016 Gender Statistics on Labor and Employment.

Even in a highly urbanized area like Metro Manila, Raymundo pointed out, there had been very little discussion, much less action, on making the work place friendlier to women.

“For a richer understanding of women’s health, we have to recognize occupational health as one important arm of medicine and not just basic gynecology,” she said.

For example, a desk job which requires employees to sit down to face the computer and do paperwork for long hours puts women, rather than men, at risk in getting more ailments.

This is because working women are more prone to lower back pain, especially during their menstruation period due to contractions in the uterus.

Women are also at higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome because women have smaller carpal tunnel due to their wrists being narrower than that of men.

Raymundo appealed to employers to consider investing in ergonomic workstations, including chairs and keyboards that would make work more comfortable and more productive, especially for women.

“The chair should be at the right level with the monitor,” she said. “The arms should also rest naturally while typing on the keyboard to ensure that women can perform their best.”

She also encouraged employees to take one-minute bathroom breaks and urged employers to place accessible water stations near the workstations for hydration.

Raymundo pointed out that, while many issues on women’s health would need to be addressed, there had been some achievements, such as the proposal in Congress to expand maternity leave benefits.

Raymundo cited the recently approved measure which expands maternity benefits – including a longer leave – as one that supports women in the workforce.

“Most women are working. They will take advantage of the maternity leave,” she said. “They should take care of the baby and the house because in two and a half months, they will go back to work.”

The longer leave, she added, would allow the mother to recover from her pregnancy to take care of her baby. /atm