The UNFPA is one with the country in mourning the loss of former Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani.

The Shahani-Ramos families lost a dear bastion of light and inspiration, and the Philippines - a pioneering and staunch advocate of population, development, and human rights. Many, many generations of Filipino women and adolescent girls are enjoying their rights as they do now because of the invaluable contribution of Senator Ramos-Shahani in advancing these rights; and many, many more Filipino women and adolescent girls may miss future opportunities in furthering these rights, as Senator Ramos-Shahani leave policymakers, development workers, and the civil society bereft of her fearless guidance.

In 1996, the United Nations bestowed on her the United Nations Population Award, recognizing her more than 30 years of leadership in the field of population. For all the trailblazing influence she made in the Philippine Congress which paved the way for the creation of the Commission on Population and the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development, the Philippines now sees itself steadily progressing towards the full recognition of reproductive health rights as human rights.

The loss of Senator Ramos-Shahani will always be profoundly felt. For us at the UNFPA, her legacy can only be honored by the organization’s unwavering commitment to stand up for the same rights she has always fought for, until every Filipino woman and adolescent girl count.