Time to Shed “LIGHT” on a Neglected Issue
Quezon City – Three out of five women have experienced a form of sexual harassment while
commuting in Metro Manila, according to a new research, “Baseline Study on How
safe are women in our city streets” commissioned by Quezon City local
government and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment (UN Women).
To shed “light” on
the issue the LGU and UN Women held back-to-back
events: (1) A press conference at the QCX Museum, which saw the launch of the
research, also revealed Glaiza de Castro as the new celebrity supporter of UN
Women Safe Cities; and (2) A grand assembly of 1000 supporters who released sky
lanterns to light up the Quezon City skyline and called for safe cities where
women are free from fear and free from all forms of street harassment and
sexual violence. Both events were to commemorate International Women’s Day (#IWD2016)
as well as to kick-off the celebrations in March as the National Women’s Month.
Whether
due to shame or fear, women traditionally ignore and keep silent about
catcalls, wolf-whistling, stalking, repeated harassment for their numbers, male
public exposure, rubbing or groping (panghihipo) inside the MRT/ jeepneys, even bearing indecent language being yelled
at them by men as they walk by. Women experience all these forms of
sexual harassment as they move about in the city, using public transport,
terminals, markets/malls, and even just walking home in their own
neighborhoods.
Glaiza de Castro, sharing why she
supports
UN
Women Safe Cities / Credit: GMA Artist Center
During the press conference discussing the problem
of the frequent street harassment of women, De Castro observed, "We know
about it, we are offended by it, but we don't know how to prevent it." The
research reported that eighty-eight percent (88%)of women aged 18-24 years,
have experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lives, but more than
half do not report or do anything about it.
This is why the LGU partnered with UN Women to
implement the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative. QC is the
first city in Metro Manila to be one of over 24 cities around the world in the
programme to stop street harassment
and sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG) in public spaces with
funding from Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID).
The evening’s grand assembly
was a visual spectacle where supporters of women’s right to safety in the city
banded together to celebrate the spirit of community fighting to stop street
harassment of women. Hosted by PTV4’s Good Morning Boss talents, Jules Guiang
and Karla Paderna, the event was graced by musical performances from Cooky Chua
and Bayang Barrios.
Guiang expressed, “This is
such an important issue and we are grateful that for the first time we have a
programme on women’s safety in public spaces and educating everyone that sexual
harassment of women in any form is not
acceptable.”
Credit: Blogger "Just
Jing’s Journal"
The Quezon City Local Government just passed
amendments to the Gender and Development Code increasing penalties for sexual
harassment and sexual violence against women in public spaces to a range of one
to five thousand pesos (Php1,000 to Php5,000) for the varying severity of
offenses.
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