Women and Violence E Qe Learning Outcomes ———————__, At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. identify the various forms of violence against women; 2. explain how even subtle forms of violence affect women; and 3. articulate ways to prevent violence against women. - @ Pre-work for the Chapter Think about the existence of women-only passenger cars in the Light Rail Transit 1 and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3. What might be the reason for setting up that kind of system? Do women experience something different from men when the train coaches are packed to the rafters? Is it a form of violence or not? Why is the system particular to women? (ie een ee, Me a ee ae |Violence against women or VAW is a topic that is difficult both to read about and to write about. Not only is the idea of causing harm to others a complicated idea to grasp, the denial of a certain type of violence by most cultures is saddening. Why is there a distinction between male- and female-related Violence? Is violence not enough of an umbrella term for any form of force or intimidation with the intention to harm? Yet, to categorize VAW in the same category with other forms of violence ignores the gravity of the crime. “VAW strikes at the personhood of women,” says the Philippine Commission on Women.” Violence against women is a specific form of violence that attacks persons at their core: their gender. It also has physical and emotional effects on women. In some countries, it is so ingrained that violence committed against women does not seem like real violence. In most societies across the globe, acts that comprise violence against women may be seen as the norm because a woman “deserved” what happened to her or because the oppression has been normalized. While women’s movements have discussed women’s issues and their right for education and sovereignty, reproductive health rights, and reproductive issues, VAW was only placed in the agenda at the beginning of the 1980s. Why is this so? Violence against women is cone of the most taboo topics in feminism and has a long history of contention. There are two reasons for this disagreement.>” First, some people assume that gender-specific violence does not exist. Second, those who witness and recognize violence against women view it as normal and unavoidable—gender-specific violence is just a part of how the world is and there is nothing one can do to change i Additionally, there is the matter of who is involved in VAW. VAW happens most often behind closed doors. In the past, if a father or a husband beat a woman, then that was considered as the woman's or family’s problem, not a concern of the state or society: " Philippine Commission on Women, Impacts of VAW, Philippine Commission on. Women, accessed March 7 n Women secesses Mors 1, 2017, http://www.pew.gov.ph/tocus-areas/violence- + Antrobus, Peggy, The Global Women': ve t: Orig ie ficou agar, he Globo women's Movement: Ogi isves, and Strategieseo data unearthed during the second wave of the Western world's feminist movement show that domestic violence was systemic and revalent: Ik was so widespread that women's shelters for victims of domestic violence were popularized during the 1960s." It had such gn immense effect on the mental health of women, which revealed how important the discussion of VAW truly was in the public sphere Incidents concerning violence against women overlapped with other women’s issues such as issues regarding work (sexual harassment in work), education (sexual harassment, rape), and family life (incest, spousal abuse, female genital mutilation), What is VAW and does it still exist today? Ifa person gets physically assauleed on the streets, one would know that an act of violence has been committed. Yet, if a woman walks down the street and a stranger starts following her or makes comments about her appearance, possibly making her feel unsafe, can it be categorized as violence? If a worker keeps verbally assaulting his or her colleague because of the latter's gender, is it violence? The victim in both instances suffers no physical harm although there are proven physical and emotional manifestations of these acts."™ This type of violence is not a one-time incident. It may be even ingrained in policies and unconsciously permitted in other societies around the globe. Much has happened in the women’s movement and for women's rights, Pressure to end violence against women already exists, with a push for countries to enact laws that prevent VAW. Numerous Victories have been achieved around the world. However, work still needs to be done. To what extent and in what degree does VAW still happen today? This chapter shall tackle VAW as one cannot separite VAW fom women's issues. It will define VAW and discuss the types of VAW, national and global VAW statistics, and national and international laws and policies that can protect women from VAW. The situations of many real survivors of VAW will also be described. The implications of VAW for the human person will be tackled alongside theories behind violence and women's rights. —_——- ™ Ibid, Roselle Leah K, Rivera, Jennifer Joan R, Quizon, and ogainst VAW: The Arugaan ng Kalakasan Experience Kalokasan, Action Research and Publications, 1997). Maxima Urmatam, Action {Quezon City: Arugaan ng(@ Eee “~" Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan shares that: ‘ “[vJiolence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. it knows no boundaries of geography, culture, or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development, and peace." Violence is an issue because it is an attack on half of the citizens of the planet due to their biology and socially constructed roles. Other forms of gender-based violence also occur such as those against the LGBT, non-binary, and non-heterosexual individuals. These forms are gender-specific as well and include particular instances of gender-based violence that happen to non-straight persons (corrective rape, criminalization due to one’s sexual orientation or gender identity). The oppression stems from the same reasons for violence against women: objectification, ownership of a (female) person's body, and other oppressive structures that deem male values as dominant. Despite the similarities between gender- based violence against the LGBT and VAW, this book will not touch the topic on violence against the LGBT. Interested readers on LGBT issues may consult other texts discussing the various oppressions affecting the members of the LGBT. A A Disclaimer on the Nature of this Chapter This chapter will include graphic descriptions of abuse and violence. While the contents and desctiptions may be shocking, the writers tried to tackle them in on objective manner and have no intention to offend the reader. These details are ol for the benefit of those who are studying VAW in order for them to recognize and prevent it. This discussion is important because abuse and violence are so normalized in society that people often fail to recognize when it is present. If you are a survivor of VAW and these descriptions trigger a negative response or causes post-traumatic stress disorder, we urge you to see a counselor. Too many women (and men) have been forced to bear the burden of gender-based violence because they are. ashamed fo come forward. Others may have been silenced because of the perceived disgrace it could bring to their personality and their families A culture of silence breeds a culture of complicity, thus sustaining the existence of these violent acts. With all these cautions, we urge those who have discover themselves to be victims of violence and are in need of help to speak to a ment health professional. 5 Mildred D. Megarbio and Romeo T. Cabarde Jr. Voices of Women on Violence against Women: A Documentation of VAW Experiences of Female Students in Davao City (Davao City: Mindanao Working Group on Reproductive Health, Gender and niin SePat) Ue a tai One must first define VAW to determine what constitutes it. The Magna Carta of Women in the Philippines defines VAW as: “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occuring in public or in private life." Violence against women may be one of the first crimes committed against a person because of their gender. It is rooted in the unequal relationships and structuralized oppression against women. VAW is an attack on a woman's gender.” Alternatively, violence against men is not as widespread because of their socially constructed roles as men or because they possess specific physical features that intimidate others from committing the violence. Violence against men simply for the reason of humiliating the male gender does not occur as much as the hostility experienced by women. ASCO MU Carer NA Cet There are two umbrella terms for violence against women: sexual violence and physical violence. While all anti-women Violence is related to their gender, all VAW occurs because of the disproportionate view concerning the worth of women. Sexual Violence strikes when women are perceived to be biologically different from men, which also serves as a basis for gender roles. This chapter will be discussing four types of violence as defined in the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Law of 2003, namely physical, psychological, economic, and sexual abuse. oe = jh WHO Media Centre, Fact Sheet: Violence against Women (World Healt Organization: November 2016), accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.who.int/ Mediacentre/factsheets/1s239/en. * Megarbio and Cabarde J, Voices of Women on Violence against Women.—" as identified by the Hs Paghadlang sa Karahasan Laban sa Kababaihan (Hulagp A Manual for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) will also be described, Hulagpos was written by Arugaan ng Kalakasan (Cradle of Strength), a coalition between different groups that advocate against VAW, Arugaan and the International Women's Development Agency have defined other types of VAW and detailed other forms of abuse. Their descriptions are based on their experience of working wich women who are often marginalized and without proper support 1n different Other types of VAW sectors. Physical Violence The most detectable form of VAW is physical violence. It involves causing physical or bodily harm against another person. Psychological Violence Psychological force or violence involves causing harm to a victim through the use of emotional manipulation, resulting in mental suffering. Some forms of psychological violence include constant putting-down of a woman, diminishing her value because of her socially-constructed role, or judging how she acts or what she does. An example is the public ridicule of a woman because of her gender. Repeated verbal abuse is also a form of this violence. The core of psychological force or violence lies in the idea that women are weaker and should be looked down on or controlled. Marital infidelity is also considered a form of psychological violence against a woman, Because the supposed role of a woman in marriage includes being a good and faithful wife, infidelity may make her feel that she has either little or no worth for her partner, lowering her self-esteem, Forcing a woman to witness a form of violence such as physical, psychological, or sexual abuse against another family member is also psychological violence. Making her view graphic material of watch pornography she is not comfortable with can likewise beconsidered abuse. Stalking or harassment is a form of both sexual and ae hological violence. The deprivation of a woman's rights to see her child can be considered emotional manipulation and violence. Economic Abuse or Violence Economic abuse is the deprivation of a woman's financial independence. This form of abuse can be realized through explicit acts such as denying women the right to use property or materials that are legally hers, destroying her things, solely controlling her money or property, or threatening to deprive her of financial support. More subtle forms of economic abuse involve the removal of support from one’s partner; having her father, spouse, or relative disallow her from participating in the labor marker; or stopping her from creating her own income-generating project. The dependence of a woman on her husband, father, or brother may lead to low self-esteem and abuse as she may eventually be seen as a burden or as the property of her family. The woman is exposed to the risk of being refused support by her relatives or be forced to do domestic labor to earn her keep.” Sexual Violence Sexual violence is defined as the forcing of unwanted sexual acts upon a person. It is not limited to the act of copulation; any act that is sexual in nature can be considered sexual violence. Sexual violence ranges from rape, marital rape, incest, sexual abuse of children, to sexual objectification of women and children. Molestation and the attacking or unwanted touching of a woman's private parts are included in this definition.° m Philippines, Anti-VAWC Act of 2004: An Act Defining Violence Against Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for Victims, Prescribing Penalties Congress of the Therefore, and For Other Purposes, Republic Act No. 9262 (Mani t Philippines, 2003), accessed January 23, 2017, retrieved from hitp: Hwww.lawphil.net/ statvtes/repacts/ra2004/1a_9262_2004.htm. ™ Rivera, Quizon, and Urmatam, Action against VAW: The Arugaan ni Experience. * WHO Media Centre. Fact Sheet: Violence against Women. 1g Kalakasana“ 4 “(7 Other forms of sexual violence as defined by the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act of 2003 include forcing women or their children to watch pornography, look at sexually suggestive material, or do indecent acts. It is also illegal to record or video these acts. Rape is defined as forced or coerced penetration of the vulva or anus using a penis, other body parts, or an object. Rape is considered rape even if the penetration is minimal. Unsuccessful rape is called attempted rape. If more than one person commits rape on any one person, it is called gang rape. Assaulting other sexual organs can be considered sexual violence, including forced contact between sex organs or the mouth and penis, vulva, or anus. The lack of consent is essential to sexual violence. A person may be unable to give consent due to being drunk, drugged, or incapacitated. Those who lack the comprehension to understand the ramifications of their decision, such as children and persons with disabilities, cannot give consent for sex. Rape is more than an issue of sex and lust; it is an issue of power. With rape comes the removal of free will and power of the victim, attacking the dignity of the person. Marital rape includes acts that are covered by rape, although it occurs between a married couple. While this form of violence is recognized by the law (Anti-Rape Law of 1997), there are cultural barriers to its full implementation. In some areas in the Philippines, marital rape is not acknowledged as violence or rape by the victim, the victim’s family, and more often than not, the community where the crime was committed. A woman who experiences marital rape may be too ashamed to come forward as she feels that her issue is ‘one that is private in nature. Others who do, however, may not even pursue their case against their husband because they have supposedly resolved the issues on their own. Marital rape is also similar to issues concerning domestic violence, which shall be discussed in the next section. Incest refers to sexual acts done between family members or closely related persons. The root of incest comes from the violation of trust of a victim on his or her assailant. It concerns the lack of powers in which victims lose their voice to speak up regarding the abuse because they may not know that what is happening to them is wronggs in the case of young children, or because the perpetrator threatens the victim to stay quiet about the interaction. The feeling of betrayal mes with this unwelcomed encounter. Victims may feel that they must fulfil the elder’s wish of sexual acts for survival because the later is taking care of them. Victims may also keep silent to keep the peace in their family or community. Incest may occur inside or outside of the home. Often, there is a relationship between the victim and the perpetrator prior to the act, though not necessarily blood relatives. The victim must, however, have trusted the perpetrator enough to see him or her as a part of his or her family worthy of respect. A person who may enact incest is the parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt, sibling, cousin, or guardian of the person. Incest may also involve the neighbor who the family has trusted to care for the child or the caregiver or nanny (yaya). Cultural practices and sexual violence Some cultural practices may be considered as forms of sexual violence. Forcing children to become child brides is a cultural practice that can be classified as sexual violence. Female genital mutilation also falls under this category because it specifically involves acts that harm a person's sexual organ. While one can argue that these practices are cultural and sometimes considered sacred, they may be harmful to women and is, therefore, a form of violence. Child brides are unable to give consent because they are married off as children and do not fully understand the circumstances they are placed in due to lack of maturity or experience. Although younger than 18 years, they are often forced to have sexual encounters with men who are much older than them. These conditions also lead to numerous health issues such as STDs and early pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is dangerous for both the mother and child as the mother’s body has not fully developed yet. Female genital mutilation, also called female circumcision, involves the cutting or removal of certain parts of a woman's external vagina. It is mostly carried out on girls fifteen years and younger. Genital mutilation has no known medical benefit to females. In fact, women can be placed in grave danger due to massive bleeding @)Ne ae and infection. They are also at risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This tradition is still widely practiced because it is believed to keep women pure and clean before marriage." Sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a specific form of sexual violence that occurs outside one’s home. The sexual act may not necessarily be forced or take a physical form. Manipulation, intimidation, n be used to coerce someone into having sex or and blackmail cai Sexual Harassment Law performing sexual acts. The Philippines’ Anti- of 1995 defines sexual harassment as the demand of a sexual act or wherein the person who demands the act is favor in an institution, g, solicited. It is in moral ascendancy or influence over the person bein; considered harassment regardless of whether or not the victim agrees to partake in the act. If a woman feels discomfort or distress during the request, solicitation, or act, it is considered harassment. In the case of employees, harassment covers actions from their boss, team leader, or someone who has influence over one’s employment status or permanency, promotion, and the like. For students, sexual harassment covers the teacher, instructor, professor, coach, or trainer. The UN's definition of sexual harassment qualifies possible acts that are not stated in our local Anti-Sexual Harassment Act2 The UN Women Watch considers an act to be sexual harassment if it involves: “any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual [favor], verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other [behavior] of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another." 1 WHO Media Centre, Fact Sheet: Female Genital Mutilation, World Health ‘Organization, accessed February 28, 2017. hitp://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs241 /en. 22 Congress of the Philippines, Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995: An Act Declaring Sexual Horassment Uniawtul in the Employment, Education or Training Environment. ‘Gnd for Other Purposes, Republic Act No. 7877 (2013), accessed January 23, 2017. retrieved from http://pcw.gov.ph/law/republic-act-7877. 36 Ibid. 4 Ibid.‘An act can be considered harassment if it creates a hostile environment Or interferes with work, a qualification shared by both the UN and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law of 1995. The definition was expanded such that harassment may occur outside of working hours and outside of the institution. It involves as well unwelcomed behavior. The feeling of harassment is subjective. If a person feels harassed by an act which may be seen as sexual in content, then the act can be considered sexual harassment. e 0 Fast Facts On Sexual Harassment The UN Women Watch has a list of possible acts of sexual harassment. These include verbal, physical, and non-verbal incidents. Verbal incidents involve: * whistling at someone; © cat calling; © making sexual comments about a person's body; * sexual innuendos; * curning work discussions into sexual conversations; + telling sexual jokes or stories; * asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history; + asking personal questions about social or sexual life + making kissing sounds, howling, and smacking lips; * making sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks; * repeatedly asking out a person who is not interested; and + telling lies or spreading rumors about an individual’ personal sex life. Meare reece ter caine ei eset eee eee 6 United Nations Women's Watch, What is Sexual Harassment, accessed December 2, 2016, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdt/whalissh.paf.“ “\T oe Fast Facts (cont.) Non-verbal incidents include the following: «staring or leering at someone; * looking someone up and down; + blocking one’s paths * following the person; + stalking; + giving unwanted gifts; © gesturing sexually; * licking one’s lips; and «throwing kisses. Physical harassment involves touching a person's hair or clothing, hugging, kissing, stroking or patting a person's body, rubbing one's self sexually against a person, standing close, or brushing against a person. Sexual harassment is an issue because it is “a form of gender- based violence, which seriously inhibits women’ ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men.”*” Violence against women in public spaces Street harassment is sexual harassment that occurs in a public space. A prior relationship between the assailant and the victim is not required. The harassment may involve cat calls, shouting of sexual obscenities, unwanted sexual gestures, blocking a person’s path, indecent exposure, groping, and the like. These actions create a hostile public environment and women are mostly the: victims. ™ Ibid. 50’ Philippine Commission on Women, Strengthening Law Enforcement and Protection against Sexual Offenses: Expanding the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, Policy Brief 10 (Manila: Philippine Commission on Women, August 2013), accessed February 11, 2016, hitp://www pew.gov.ph/sites/default/files/documents/laws/wpla/2013/ October/webmaster/anti_sexual_harassment.pdf.o“ Street harassment creates an environment of fear, as it is often linked ele to male violence and sexual violence. Street harassment is about power and the desire to show power over another gender (usually male to female) and to remind the other gender that they are nothing more than sexual objects to be scrutinized or used by the dominant gender especially in public spaces."* Pornography, prostitution, sexual slavery, and sex trafficking Pornography may be the most controversial issue in the feminist circle. It is defined as the “representation, through publication, exhibition, cinematography, indecent shows, information technology, or by whatever means, of a person engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a person for primarily sexual purposes.” Pornography is any product that has sexually explicit acts, which is sold for consumption. These articles may contain sexually graphic content such as naked people in copulation. The idea of selling and consuming bodies visually is present in pornography. However, some pieces that illustrate explicit sexual acts are considered erotic art, thus creating a blurry line between erotica and pornography. Pornography is also a workers’ issue because of the conditions involved in working for the industry. Women who participate in the industry may be abused or discriminated against. The health of both men and women who choose this profession may also be at risk. Pornography is a much-contested debate in the feminist circle. Many feminists believe it to be liberating especially for those who choose to do pornography to express their sexual liberties. The flip * Holly Kearl, Unsafe and Harassed in Public Spaces: A National Street Harassment Report (Reston, Virginia: Stop Street Harassment, 2014), accessed December 1, 2016, http://www stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/National-Street- Harassment-Report-November-29-20151 pdf. ™ Congress of the Philippines, Special Protection of Children Against Abuse. Exploitation and Discrimination Act: An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and for Other Purposes, Republic Act No. 7610 (1992). accessed January 23, 2017, http:// www.gov.ph/1992/06/17/republic-act-no-7610.“- hho perform in pornography do so such that the woman engaged in nality.’® It also one of the root side to this is that the women w! for the sexual consumption of men, pornography loses her identity oF perso “ : issues behind advertisements that use women's bodies to sell items. These advertisements sexualize women and objectify them to sell a product. This practice becomes @ problem when women are seen as props for someone's sexual fantasy and nothing else. Prostitution is defined as “any act, transaction, scheme, or design involving the use of a person by another for sexual intercourse « Lecivious conduct in exchange for money, profit, or any other cemaideration23"' The woman and the person to whom she has to serve sexual favors do not need to be in a relationship. Like pornography, prostitution involves the buying and selling of sexual intercourse or sex-related activities. While there is the belief that women should be free to explore their sexuality, and that the sex industry is a viable industry whose workers should be protected, the patriarchal world in which it exists does not create a safe environment for this type of work, Numerous issues are involved in the exploitation of women based on their sex and gender in the sex industry. Issues that are related to prostitution involve sex tourism, sexual exploitation, and sex slavery. Sex tourism uses sexual services as a selling point for tourism in which a person may go to a specific location to experience sexual activities. Escort services are also considered forms of sex tourism.’ Sexual exploitation is the participation of a woman in the sex’ industry—prostitution or pornography—because of force oF 3 Rivera, Quizon, and Umatam, Action against VAW: Th Experience. 1g The Arugaan ng Kalakasan 551 Congress of the Philippines, Expanded Anfi-Trafficking i ne | 3 H in Persons Act of 2012: An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Eipecialy Women and Children. Esighithing fa Necassry nettle ‘Mechanisms for the Protection and Suppot of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for Its Violations and for Other Purposes. Republic Act No. 10364 (2012), accessed J diene ph/2013/02/06/republic-act-no-10364. re cairn om es 88 Rivera, Quizon, and i i rive Galen Urmatam, Action against VAW: The Arugaan ng Kalakasan. 383 Congress of the Philippines Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.