Philippines: Activists fight to change culture of harassment
Summary
TLDRJournalist Shai Lagarde addresses gender-related issues in the Philippines, advocating against harassment and victim blaming. Despite having high-ranking female officials, the country still has no divorce recognition and a low age of sexual consent. The 'I am a girl' movement, inspired by #MeToo, fights against a culture that includes rape occurring hourly and a conservative church opposing women's rights. Activists face challenges from officials, including President Duterte's rape jokes, and push for legislative changes to criminalize sexual intercourse with minors and combat sexual harassment.
Takeaways
- 🗣️ Shai Lagarde is a journalist advocating against harassment and victim blaming towards women and young girls in the Philippines.
- 🚶♂️ She experienced harassment personally when a man followed her home and made vulgar advances.
- 🌐 Women in the Philippines have joined a local version of the global #MeToo movement, highlighting the issue of sexual harassment.
- 🏢 Despite having a high number of female executives and two female presidents, the Philippines still has no legal recognition of divorce and a low age of sexual consent at 12.
- 📜 A bill has been filed in Congress to criminalize sexual intercourse with minors under 16, even with their consent.
- 🚨 Government data indicates that at least one woman or child is raped every hour in the Philippines, often from impoverished backgrounds and afraid to report it.
- ⛪️ The influence of a conservative church is seen as a barrier to women's rights, including reproductive health and rights.
- 👨💼 Government officials, including President Rodrigo Duterte, have been criticized for their attitudes towards women, with Duterte joking about rape in public speeches.
- 🏛️ Activists call for continued legislative action and oversight to address sexual harassment, which they see as a byproduct of a broader rape culture.
- 💪 Shai Lagarde is determined to continue her fight for change despite recognizing the challenges she faces.
Q & A
Who is Shai Lagarde and what is her focus?
-Shai Lagarde is a journalist who focuses on gender-related issues, particularly speaking against a culture of harassment and victim blaming towards women and young girls.
What is the significance of the Filipino version of the global 'MeToo' movement?
-The Filipino version of the 'MeToo' movement, 'I Am A Girl', was created to address the issue of sexual harassment and to encourage women to speak out against it, following a controversial Facebook message from a police station advising women to dress modestly to avoid harassment.
Why is the Philippines the only country globally where divorce is not recognized?
-The Philippines has a predominantly conservative culture, heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, which opposes divorce, leading to the country's unique position of not recognizing divorce.
What is the current legal age of sexual consent in the Philippines?
-The current age of sexual consent in the Philippines is 12 years old, which is one of the lowest in the world.
What bill has been filed in the Philippines to address sexual intercourse with minors?
-A bill has been filed in the Philippines to criminalize sexual intercourse between an adult and a minor aged 16 years old and below, even if the child gave consent to the act.
How prevalent is rape in the Philippines according to government data?
-Government data from the Philippines indicates that at least one woman or child is raped every hour, with most victims coming from impoverished communities.
What is the role of the Catholic Church in influencing women's rights in the Philippines?
-The Catholic Church in the Philippines plays a significant role in influencing women's rights, often opposing advocacies such as sexually reproductive health and rights, which has led to a slow progress in enacting laws related to these issues.
How has President Rodrigo Duterte's behavior impacted the issue of sexual harassment?
-President Rodrigo Duterte has been criticized for joking about raping women in his public speeches, which activists say contributes to a culture of normalization of sexual harassment and violence against women.
What is the 'Safe Spaces or Bowl Busters Act' and why was it enacted?
-The 'Safe Spaces or Bowl Busters Act' is a recent law in the Philippines that recognizes and prohibits sexual harassment in public spaces, making it punishable by law, in an effort to combat the widespread issue of sexual harassment.
What challenges does Shai Lagarde face in her advocacy work?
-Shai Lagarde faces challenges such as a conservative society, opposition from the influential Catholic Church, and even inappropriate comments from public figures like the President, which contribute to a difficult environment for advocating women's rights and against sexual harassment.
What is Shai Lagarde's stance on the fight against sexual harassment and victim blaming?
-Shai Lagarde is determined to continue her battle against sexual harassment and victim blaming, despite acknowledging the challenges, as she believes it is crucial for the advancement of women's rights and safety in the Philippines.
Outlines
🚨 Women's Struggle Against Harassment in the Philippines
Shai Lagarde, a journalist focusing on gender issues, has been advocating against harassment and victim blaming in schools. Despite the Philippines having a high number of female executives and two female presidents, the country still does not recognize divorce and has one of the lowest ages of sexual consent globally. The 'I Am A Girl' movement, inspired by the global #MeToo movement, emerged in response to a police station's advice to women to dress modestly to avoid harassment. A bill is being considered to criminalize sexual intercourse with minors under 16, even with consent. The prevalence of rape, with government data showing at least one case per hour, is a significant issue, particularly in impoverished communities where victims are often afraid to come forward. The influence of a conservative church and dismissive attitudes from government officials, including President Rodrigo Duterte, further complicate the fight for women's rights and against sexual harassment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sexual Harassment
💡Victim Blaming
💡#MeToo Movement
💡Consent
💡Impoverished Communities
💡Legislation
💡Cultural Conservatism
💡Rape Culture
💡Safe Spaces Act
💡Sexual Consent Age
💡Divorce
Highlights
Shai Lagarde, a journalist, focuses on gender-related issues and speaks against harassment and victim blaming.
Lagarde shares her personal experience of being followed and harassed by a man.
Women in the Philippines join a local version of the global #MeToo movement.
A police station's Facebook message advising women to dress modestly to avoid harassment sparked controversy.
The Philippines has one of the highest numbers of female executives but does not recognize divorce.
The age of sexual consent in the Philippines is one of the lowest in the world at 12 years old.
A bill has been filed to criminalize sexual intercourse with minors aged 16 and below, even with consent.
Government data reveals that at least one woman or child is raped every hour in the Philippines.
Most rape victims in the Philippines come from impoverished communities and are afraid to report the crime.
The influence of a conservative church is highlighted as an obstacle to women's rights advocacy.
Activists point out the long journey to enact a reproductive health law in the Philippines.
Government officials, including President Rodrigo Duterte, have been criticized for joking about rape.
Recent laws like the Safe Spaces or Bowl Busters Act are aimed at combating sexual harassment.
The need for legislative oversight on the implementation of laws to address sexual harassment is emphasized.
Shai Lagarde acknowledges the difficulty of her battle but remains determined to continue advocating for change.
Transcripts
[Applause]
shai lagarde is a journalist who focuses
on gender related issues
she has been speaking in schools against
a culture of harassment
and victim blaming towards women and
young girls
in the jeep this guy kept leering when i
got off the jeepney it was about 15
minutes of the guy just following me
home
uh saying very vulgar like basically
asking me to come home with him
she's one of many women who have joined
a filipino version of the global metoo
movement
which means i'm a girl was created after
a facebook message posted by staff at a
police station in june
told women to dress modestly to avoid
getting harassed despite having one of
the highest
number of female executives in the world
and two female presidents in the past it
remains to be the only country globally
where divorce is still not recognized
and where the age of sexual consent
is still at 12 years old one of the
lowest
in the world congress has now filed a
bill that would criminalize sexual
intercourse
between an adult and a minor aged 16
years old and below
even if the child gave consent to the
act
government data shows at least one woman
or child is raped every hour in the
philippines
and most victims come from impoverished
communities
and they're afraid to come forward we
have for instance a very conservative
church
the church has gone against many of the
advocacies of
women's rights advocates start with
sexually reproductive health and rights
how long did it take for us
to enact a productive health law it was
a very long journey
activists also say government officials
is to blame
president rodrigo duterte has repeatedly
joked about raping women
in his public speeches even recent
laws like the safe spaces or bowel
busters act recognized as
unacceptable and in fact prohibited and
punishable
on the legislative front we must
continue our oversight
on the implementation because also
sexual harassment is certainly a
byproduct
of the broad rape culture shai says
she knows that the battle she chose is
difficult
but she's determined to continue jamella
allendogen al jazeera manila
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