Various laws have been passed promoting agriculture and fisheries to push economic advancement. These measures impact primarily on women because these affect food security and health services among others. With less food from subsistence crops, women have to find ways to feed the family by engaging in other livelihood activities. With limited health care services, women have to take care of the sick in the family (Philippine NGO BPA+10 Report, 2005).
Consumer food price data show that food prices have been rising more slowly compared to other commodities in the consumption basket from 1997 onwards. As a measure of the purchasing power of households, the food, beverage and tobacco price index is particularly relevant for women in their role as caretakers of the family. Thus, any threat to the household's access to food - whether through higher food prices or inaccessibility of resources for food production - threatens poor women and increases their burden of care. The relatively slow growth of food prices in 2002 and 2003 has benefited women in poor households (WAGI, 2003).
