Violence against Women Then and Now

Being in the hands of the Spanish colonizers, it was the whole illustration of terror
and injustices that made Filipino citizens, most especially children and women highly
vulnerable to abuses. The whole encomienda or enslavement system that had
happened in the Spanish era did not only highlighted the unfair work pay from hard-
working Filipino natives but most especially the particular treatment that showed cruelty
to women. As this hard ground placed upon the nation, Rizal had managed to plant a
seed that fueled motivation to address the matter. As notable as he is in his works and
narratives, violence against women did not slip from his pen. Jose Rizal was one of the
first proponents of women’s rights in his time as also exclaimed by Gil Yuzon in his
Philippine Daily Inquirer issue.
In this contemporary world, the constant battle of women’s rights goes on as
modern Filipino women are still subjects of violence. Maria Clara dressed in a laced up
camisa top and a floor-length skirt that finishes the baro’t saya look, not provocative at
all did not spare her from an abuser’s eye; seems like a historical legacy as this is by far
observed up until now. This gender-biased concept includes the act of physical
harassment, verbal abuse, sexual assault, and rape not concerning how they look and
what they wear. And the number of these reported cases is alarming.
Women who wear revealing clothes, as well as the so-called ideal image of a
Filipino woman denoted as Maria Clara, are all subject to this matter and some portion
of the population seems to be unprepared for this fact. Once someone does not agree
in any sexual contact no matter how short or how long their skirts are, how loose or well
fitted their tops are, as long as there is no permission and physical contact persist this is
considered as an act of violence against women. No matter how you say it is due to
their vulgar clothing or in any way they want to dress themselves up is not and will
never be an excuse for such acts. The gang-rape case of a 16-year-old who decided to
go with seven men, that was said to be her fault engaging in a party with these men in
the first place. An assault of a 9-year-old by his uncle that was blamed to have seduced
him by her child play of pulling his shorts and by sitting on his lap. These are all just a
few of the many reported cases emphasized in Jenny Ortuoeste, 2019 Manila Standard
issue. And these are solid proofs of victim-blaming going on around our country as if it
was indeed a legacy of history’s tyranny.
This is indeed an advent fact that what these modern women are trying to
administer and fight for. For this isn’t any new news anymore as Sandra Newman would
express in her writings for Aeon, 2017 stating the fact that this dated for ages and the
recurrence of the issue goes on and on. In the same article, it was proposed that men
should never get away with it, for men who rape knows no face, knows no clothing, and
even religion to consider his inhumane acts. Men who are highly susceptible to this
engagement show mental frustrations and other influences such as alcohol and drugs,
that is why it is very unfair to blame women for being highly vulnerable to this matter.
 As this is all said and presented, the common denominator of this issue lays on a
list of effects on the matter. The aftermath of a tragic sexual abuse, victims who are
often blamed and shamed undergoes in an extremely difficult state of experiences.
There are a lot of physical, emotional, and most especially mental effects on this matter,
and the Joyful Heart Foundation, 2019 made a narrative of the whole complication of a
rape victim undergoes. They all prominently have post-traumatic stress disorder,
depression that often leads to self-inflicted violence and worse; committing suicide. If we
would try to imagine the consequences of this ill mentality of rape culture, how many
domestic rape cases would be in silence, how many friends or peer-oriented sexual
abuse will be buried, how many family-related cases of abuse are neglected. Women’s
rights should be put into importance. Social belief and social structure must be
corrected as time goes on. For we live now in modern society where understanding and
catalysts of awareness are readily available for us.
The hope for the enlightenment of this generation to accept these facts and
straighten-up crooked mentality. No one would call it to rape if someone knows what
shoe they were fitted in. No one would call it to rape if they have permission to do so. In
our ill judgment of this causal experience, this will cost tons of lives. May all gender be
an advocate to this matter and realize the horror in putting ourselves in those victims’
experience. May we use our modern platforms as voices of these unsung terrors, and
raise awareness to other people and may we not choose silence over the fear of a bad
reputation. The reoccurrence of this constant battle about violence against women will
not end unless we end the stigma itself. Instead of educating women to defend
themselves from these kinds of men, why not we raise awareness and educate them to
not be these kinds of men. Let us stop asking what these women are wearing during the
attack and instill in their minds that clothes that women wear are not consenting for
these abuses.