Female lawmakers vow continued fight vs women, child abuse

Female lawmakers on Saturday called for an end to violence against women and children as many cases of abuse and violence were reported amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a webinar organized by a non-profit organization Kabalikat ni Mila, Senator Leila De Lima urged the public to stand up for abused and maltreated women and children as many of them were being kept silent.

“Kaya magpapatuloy tayo hanggang at mga sipol at hipo ay tuluyan nang manahimik, hangga’t wala ng batang sisihin ang kanyang sarili dahil siya ay binastos sa palaruan,” Zena Bernardo, representative of Delima, read the statement of the senator during the webinar.

(So we will continue the fight until the wolf whistles and unwanted touching are stopped and no child blames herself for being molested on the playground.)

De Lima also commended those who continued to raise and speak up for the measure raising the age of statutory rape from current 12 years old to 16 years old in a bid to protect the minors from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse.

“This is one historical step in our fight for children’s rights amid the climate that is predatory and prejudicial to women and children,” the senator said after it was approved in the bicameral conference committee meeting on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that cases of online sexual abuse and exploitation have spiked during the pandemic.

“Social media platforms have now been used by pedophiles as channels where they circulate child exploitation materials,” Hontiveros said in a pre-recorded message.

The senator, however, pointed out that laws have been passed to end exploitation and abuse against children and women, including the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Law that protects children against online abuse, and which was approved in the Senate.

She also pointed to the Safe Spaces Act or Bawal Bastos law that penalizes those who commit sexual harassment in public places, including those who make rape jokes.

“We have laws, we have policies, and we have several campaigns and advocacies calling to end violence against women and children. We are ready to fight violence against women and we are ready to win,” she added.

Kabataan partylist Representative Sarah Elago, meanwhile, pointed out the need for women in leadership who will stand up for those women who had experienced abuse and violence.

She, however, noted that women should have a bigger campaign to reclaim the space for women to be treated as equal partners in policymaking.

“Malaki talaga kailangan nating campaign to reclaim that space for women to be treated as partners as an equal in our policy making body na hindi lang for token [at] masabi lang na may babae dyan pero natitiyak na ang ating boses ay napapakinggan at ang ating mga issue ay naaksyunan,” she added.

(We really need a big campaign to reclaim that space for women to be treated as partners as an equal in our policy-making body not just for tokens but a representative who will make sure that our voices are heard and our issue will be acted upon.)

— DVM, GMA News