By INNABUYOG
www.nordis.net

Despite more than 37 laws, executive and administrative orders for the protection of women and children, the victims of violence are getting younger and the abusers are becoming bolder and harsher.

One woman or child is raped every 53 minutes; one woman is battered every 16 minutes. Alarmingly, the victims are getting younger and the numbers are rising. Seven in 10 victims of rape are children. This is according to a study conducted by the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR).

Based on CWR’s estimate, the number of recorded rape cases increased by 92% from 5,132 in 2010 to 9,875 in 2014. Violations of the Republic Act (RA) 9262 or Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act escalated by 200% from 2010 to 2014.

In the Cordillera, Innabuyog’s documentation on violence against women and children from 2011 to 2014 reveal that in 2013 alone, 54% of the cases were rape, 29% of which is incest; 11% of the cases are sexual harassment and 35% is physical abuse.

In Baguio City, the Women and Children’s Desk of the Baguio City Police Office reported a total of 1,858 Violence against Women and Children cases in 2015, compared to 1,673 cases in 2014. Of the 1,858 cases, 1,277 of which are physical abuses, 458 psychological, 98 rape, 22 non-support and three sexual abuse. Most of the cases of VAWC in 2014 and 2015 involved minors.

These numbers were still considered conservative since some victims, especially those who experienced sexual harassment and acts of lasciviousness, did not have the courage to report their cases to the authorities. The culture of silence discouraged victims to report the abuses that they experienced. In cases where their own family members were involved as perpetrators, victims hesitated to report because of the possible incarceration of their relative. In rape cases, fear and embarrassment caused women to refrain from reporting their traumatic experiences.

Also, abused women, most of the time, do not pursue court cases because legal proceedings in the country is lengthy, tedious, and financially exhaustive procedures, and not solely because they fear “to lose financial support,” as what Police Senior Inspector Brenda Macli-ing said during a press launch Tuesday for National Women’s month activities in Baguio City.

Nevertheless, the increase of violence against women and children occurred because the perpetrators know that they could get away with the crime. For instance, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that compared to the several thousands of rape cases, only 7,416 were in jail in December 2012. Fewer of these cases reached conviction.

Worse, a culture of impunity prevailed in the crimes committed by state authorities. Data from the human rights group Karapatan showed that from June 2010 to November 2015, there were 10 reported cases of rape by military personnel. The usual victims were children and indigenous women. Some of these cases involved a 21-year-old woman in Aroroy, Masbate (2010), the case of two teenage girls from Mankayan, Benguet (2012), and the case of a young Lumad from Talaingod, Davao (2015). Not a single soldier was charged and penalized for these brutal acts.

The proliferation of violence is caused by an existing culture that promotes exploitation, oppression, and subjugation of women. It is a culture where the powerful dominates the powerless. The powerful controls the economic and political setting. Such domination is translated in the treatment of women, especially those who belong to the marginalized sector.

This coming International Women’s Day, we encourage women in communities, in government and in private offices to rise and act with us versus violence against women and children. We will take this opportunity to raise once again the issues affecting our women and children.

And since, it is election season, we will challenge the aspiring candidates to look into the abuses and the culture of impunity. We want to choose leaders who have the political will to punish the perpetrators so that the victims will get the justice they deserve. Also, we demand the scrap of policies and programs that predispose women and children to different forms of violence. # nordis.net