munimunc

[munimunc]

breaking the chains

Photo retrieved from https://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2013/02/Henry-Asencio.html

“In all societies, both women and men are powerfully conditioned to repress the daily realities of [sexual harassment and workplace glass ceilings] and to collude with the rest of society in keeping these dimensions of shared experiences hidden.” — William Keepin, Divine Duality: The Power of Reconciliation Between Women and Men

From March 1 to March 31, we celebrate and remember the impact of women throughout the world which is known as Women’s Month. According to the website of Women’s History Month, this began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women executed a “Women’s History Week.” The organizers then chose March 8 to be International Women’s Day. This sparked an interest in other communities, urging them to join the movement allowing them to initiate their own celebrations for women the following year. Today, even in the Philippines, we celebrate this month with different activities which are aimed to inspire and empower women of all ages, not only to dominate as women, but to promote and achieve gender equality as well. 

In Asia, the Philippines has ranked first and 8th in the world in terms of gender equal opportunities according to a report by the World Economic Forum. By celebrating Women’s Month, we are not only able to recognize the impacts that women were able to bring into this world, but we also become more aware of the challenges that women face every day. Every minute, every hour, every day violence is perpetrated against women. They have to experience sexual harassment and violence in schools, in their workplaces, some even experience this in their own homes.  The worst thing is, women are urged to keep their silence to please the people of our community. Women are afraid to use their voices because of the victim blaming culture in our society today. But the question is, are women the only ones who experience these horrific situations? In reality, men are also victims of sexual harassment. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2017, 16.5% of sexual harassment charges were filed by men with the remainder of the charges filed by women. In the Philippines, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted or uninvited sexual attention that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment in the school or workplace. Aside from sexual harassment, both men and women can also become victims of gender-based violence.

Photo retrieved from https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/principles-and-values/gender1/preventing-and-responding-to-gender-based-violence-gbv-in-disasters/ Gender-based violence is defined as a term for any harmful act, involving both men and women, where females are usually the target, due to the unequal power relationships between men and women. Gender-based violence can be observed in many different ways: physical violence, sexual violence, economic violence, and psychological violence. The root causes of these may include gender inequality, abuse of power, patriarchal system, and the lack of respect for human rights. Contributory factors may also include alcohol or drug abuse, conflict, poverty, lack of police protection, and the collapse of traditional society and family support systems. With this data, we can deduce the idea that both genders, both males and females, may be victims of sexual harassment and gender-based violence. With all of these information including the causes and factors in mind, what can we do about it?

Here in the Philippines, we have the anti-sexual harassment law which aims to prevent sexual harassment in the workplaces and in schools. This law is known as Republic Act 7877. One of the misconceptions of sexual harassment is that only men can sexually harass women. As observed today, men cannot even file charges of sexual harassment without being laughed at in police stations. Men are believed to remain strong at all times and are expected to put up with the standards of society with regards to the concept of masculinity. Just because men are biologically stronger than women, most people believe that they cannot be victims of sexual harassment.

People must remember that sexual harassment can happen to anyone regardless of age, religion, and even sexual orientation. Like any other survivors, men who have survived through experiences like these experience the same feelings and reactions except they feel more pressure because of the said stereotyping about men and masculinity. Both men and women can be victims of sexual assault and harassment. Because of the concept of masculinity, men are taught to enjoy any conversations or activities that are sexual in nature. This results in the feeling of uncertainty in recognizing feelings of discomfort. Women can harass women as well; men can also harass other men. With a law that provides aid to victims of sexual harassment, what else can we do to avoid experiencing sexual harassment?

The most effective weapon against sexual harassment is prevention. The more the victims of sexual harassment keep their silence, as long as they let this happen without letting anyone know, the more the harassment will worsen over time and more people could be victims of these sexual predators. The problem needs to be addressed and these perpetrators should know that no one will tolerate their actions. Information dissemination is also the key. It is important to spread information and awareness about sexual harassment, including gender-based violence. Ignorance allows people to take advantage of their fellowmen. Because of this ignorance, people have no idea if they are already being harassed. So the more awareness we are able to spread and to achieve, the more we can prevent the occurrence of sexual harassment in our homes, schools, and workplaces.

As we celebrate Women’s Month this March, may we also remember to raise our voices, both men and women alike. We should learn to raise our voices for the victims of violence and harassment and learn to raise awareness to prevent the falling of more victims into the wrong hands. We should learn to fight not only for ourselves but for the other victims as well. We should break the chains of the patriarchal system we were born and raised into. We should learn to fight for the future generation. Break the stigma about the concept of masculinity and femininity. And at the end of this, I hope we can achieve the gender equality we all wish and hope for.

REFERENCES: Morato, P. (2020). Women’s month 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020 from philstar.com/opinion/2020/03/06/1998467/womens-month-2020 Philippine Statistics Authority. (n.d.). Sexual harassment. Retrieved March 12, 2020 from http://www.psa.gov.ph/content/sexual-harassment Women’s Initiative. (2018). Gender matters. Retrieved March 11, 2020 from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2018/08/06/454376/gender-matters/ Women’s History Month. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2020 from womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month