Behind the Short Dress

“Basta daghang guwapa, daghang rape.” (“As long as there are more beautiful women, there are more rape cases.”)

These words were spoken by our very own President about the rape cases in his hometown; yet again, another malicious rape “joke”, according to the officials of his administration — men and women who act like puppets in his play. His spokesperson Harry Roque says that people from Visayas and Mindanao take the President’s humor differently from the people from Luzon, who take the joke too seriously. Although his words are not entirely true, again, he saves the President from his poor choice of words.

Words like these have been re-established and repeated by him and his colleagues through the course of his political career, amidst the surge of negative remarks and replies from hundreds of Filipinos, while turning a blind eye to the reality of the matter — a reality that women are all-too familiar with.

Walking through the streets of Quezon City, a lady dressed in a simple shirt and shorts is being hollered at and teased by a group of men who tell endless tales based off her body — that she has a nice figure, a beautiful face, an expensive-looking bag, among other things. They follow her beneath the bright lights of the city, and, like dogs from a compound, they attack. The same happens in Davao, with a woman wearing a crop top and pants. The next case is in Cebu: a young girl wearing whatever she wishes, thinking that she’ll be safe. For a woman, wherever she is, whatever she’s wearing and doing, this risk is always present.

It becomes normal for men to follow her, to call her out, to look at her; it has been like that ever since. She is harassed — worse, violated — as if she were a mere plaything. Why is this still the norm? Why is her pain still prevalent in our society?

Actions for improvement

And whose fault is it?

Elders tell us to wear respectable clothes, to act strong, to not talk back when catcalled; and yet, men are allowed to wear whatever they want, to act however they wish, and to catcall women whenever they want. We teach our girls how to respond when a man treats them with indecency, but who teaches our boys to stop treating women like so? Does the blame lie in the way a woman dresses or carries her walk? Or in the lack of education on respecting the other sex?

Is the law on the woman’s side? RA 8353, known as the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, hasn’t been revised for the current times despite an increase in rape cases in 2015. The PNP Statistics during that time reported that at least one woman was raped every 58 minutes. RA 7877, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, has been in effect since 1995, and yet women in this country continue to be sexually harassed on a daily basis.

In response to the recurring criminal cases of rape and sexual harassment, last July 17, the Angono Police released “rape prevention tips” for women to refer to, one of which being “huwag magsuot ng maiigsing damit” (“do not wear clothes that are too short”). Laws and recommendations such as these lack substance when we need to attack the roots of the problem at hand. The only rape prevention tip we need is: don’t commit rape.

On a positive note, there have been steps taken by government officials and organizations in the Philippines to address — and ultimately, dissolve — the issue of sexual harassment and rape.

The Philippine Commission on Women suggests the amendment of the Anti-Rape Law, such as raising the minimum age of consent from the current 12 years old to 16 years old. Organizations like GABRIELA have been trying to communicate with the government regarding these crimes. Vice President Leni Robredo and the Commission on Human Rights try to educate their fellow officials and raise awareness on sensitive matters, usually to no avail. Last August 28, Senator Leila de Lima filed Senate Bill 1949 to raise the age of sexual consent to 18 years old to protect the minors from abuse.

But sadly, all these still aren’t enough.

Words with consequences

They say that the home is the root of our education. Teaching boys to do what is right at a young age assures us that they know what they are doing. Maturity and knowledge do not come with age, proven by most of the words uttered by our President, words that could entice men to do the wrong thing. Stop and take a moment to consider the potential consequences of those words.

Many women activists and supporters of the #BabaeAko Movement relayed their sentiments to the public through social media regarding the President’s misogynistic remarks and actions. After President Duterte’s public display of affection for a female Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), the women activist group GABRIELA took to the streets to march against his “no-malice kiss”, saying that he should “make good his promise to resign.” His statement on his preferred gender of the Ombudsman resulted in a wildfire of comments on social media, with most reactions delivering the same message: this man is not fit to lead our motherland.

From a high seat of power, President Duterte’s actions and words are being watched and observed by the country. He is a symbol of the Philippines, the representative our people elected. His words should spark a flame in our hearts, and his actions should will us to take a stand alongside him. Instead, the spark in our hearts has become a spark of anger, and we now take a stand against his opinions and beliefs.

Yet some of our fellowmen still agree with his words, defending his actions and his mistakes. His opinions on women and rape are being covered up by his followers, making it a danger to be part of such a society. The fact that a higher official is announcing those words makes it much easier for rapists and criminals to commit the crimes, because it becomes excusable; the women were just too accommodating. His words, from an influential and powerful position, are dangerous.

It starts with us

What do we do in the face of these disastrous times?

Education and awareness are the key to solving this recurring problem. The awareness that these events are happening in our society and the actions taken to stop this tragedy are vital in the destruction of the rape culture in the Philippines. The sense of male entitlement and dominance needs to be addressed immediately. By continuously challenging that mentality, we move one step closer to a better society, one that understands the dangers women may face and where gender equality will further flourish.

Some may say this is an impossible reality. Well, I say it isn’t. Because despite all the contradictions of opinions and the clashing of feelings, history has shown us that our society is ever-changing. And together, we can change it for the better.

Change just has to start with us — right now.

---

Written by Anna Divinagracia for The Science Scholar, the Philippine Science High School – Main Campus’s student publication.

Artwork by Ramone Tumunong