140 CASES PER WEEK: Youth groups, artists visualize rate of harassment in the streets of Manila

Advoacy groups Hiraya and Grrrl Gang Manila in partnership with the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday conducted a public guerilla installation that visualizes that number of harassment cases that happens in the streets of Manila every week.

The participants laid down 140 pieces of clothing at Plaza Salamanca, Taft Avenue — one for each woman harassed on the streets of the city in a week.

"In Manila alone, according to police reports, there are two women who get harassed every day. So in a week, the number of women who get harassed and abused is 14," Hontiveros was quoted as saying in a statement shared with the press on Tuesday, citing data from the Manila Police District.

According to data from the MPD, SWS and UN Women, "only 1 in 10 cases of sexual harassment get reported to the authorities."

Hontiveros continued, "If we multiply that number to months and even an entire year, we will arrive at a very alarming and nightmarish statistic." 

Hontiveros acknowledge that the police force is "doing its best", but she asserted that they could benefit from "national policy that identifies other forms of gender-based street harassment."

The Senator is pushing for the passage of the Senate Bill No. 1326 or the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act of 2017, which will identify and penalize behavior that turns otherwise neutral or friendly public spaces unsafe for people.

At the protest, Hiraya vice president for internals Yong Bantolo said the protest is dedicated to the women who suffer through cat-calling, groping, and other forms of harassment daily by men, no matter what they are wearing.

“It’s not about the clothes. It’s about the attitude of respect that everyone should wear,” conveyed Nor-ain Mohammad, a Moro teacher in Manila, who, even in her hijab and full body covering, still gets harassed.

Several local government units have passed ordinances that protect their residents from gender-based violence, including Quezon City, Baguio City, Cebu City, Davao City and Angeles City among others.

The youth group and artists present are hoping that the city of Manila follows suit, if not the rest of the country with the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act of 2017. — LA, GMA News