By Mary Annika Ysabelle N. Suan
The Filipino woman often faces misogyny and sexism in today’s society. Despite having basic human rights, such as being able to own property and having opportunities for education and work, they still are not properly protected by the government. From President Rodrigo Duterte’s blatant sexism in interviews and public statements to police-issued rape prevention posters that advise women not to “dress provocatively”, the government services seem to promote rape-culture and victim-blaming that hinders women from expressing themselves in their clothing and coming forward to report sexual assault from fear of being judged. Filipino women are an integral part of society, so it is vital that they are protected from sexual predators and malicious comments by the government because misogyny negatively impacts all Filipinos.
Toxic masculinity or the traditional masculine ideology is a set of concepts and beliefs that promote the suppression of one’s emotions, appearing emotionless as a prerequisite for being strong, and the glorification of violence as a measure of power. According to poet and rapper, Meta Sarmiento, “The idea of manhood and masculinity was really shaped by my experiences with other boys in my neighborhood. I learned early on that to be a man means to have almost an obsession with violence and over aggression, and destructive behaviors. Early on, that’s where my idea of masculinity was rooted in”. Toxic masculinity is harmful because it not only negatively affects men but society as a whole. This ideology encourages violence as a means to communicate, which may lead to serious mental health and disciplinary issues. Moreover, it also leads to gender-based violence as toxic masculinity fosters a stigma on concepts related to femininity, such as vulnerability so women become a target of harassment or are seen as ‘weak’ for exhibiting traits that they condone. A lot of men are pressured to follow the status quo and/or are taught this belief at a very young age. This shows that misogyny is a direct result of toxic masculinity. As said by Dr. Nathalie Verceles of the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, “To be less toxic, you have to be more feminine”. This means that toxic masculinity and the gender stereotypes that come with it must be eliminated to reach a stage where all genders are respected and equal.
Government services should do a better job of implementing and enforcing laws related to gender equality. The Safe Spaces Act or the “Bawal Bastos” Act enacted in 2019 protects everyone from sexual harassment in both physical and online spaces. It is closely connected to the first Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (RA 7877) of 1995. The law prohibits and penalizes cat-calling, wolf-whistling, unwanted sexual advances, misogynistic and homophobic slurs, and various forms of sexual harassment and assault in public places, workspaces, schools, and online platforms. Despite the existence of this law, the president himself has made misogynistic comments about women on television which undermines the enforcement of this law since some viewers might think that it is acceptable to say sexist comments. This shows that the laws are in place to protect women, but are not properly enforced by government officials due to their biases.
One might think that police-issued rape prevention posters that advise women not to “dress provocatively” are correct and have nothing inherently misogynistic about them; however, the posters promote a culture of victim-blaming which prevents women who are survivors of sexual assault, harassment and rape from coming forward and seeking justice. In 2019 alone, there were 2,162 rape cases reported to the police. This number could go even higher if unreported incest rape was included as it happens more often than official data shows, but victims are silenced because their assaulters are their own relatives. According to Beatriz Torre, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman Department of Psychology, “Rape is a traumatic experience, it can cause a lot of distress and negative psychological effects on the victim-survivor and yet it is very rarely reported because there is fear that, if you report it, people will say it’s all your fault, you should’ve done something to avoid it”. It is essential that women and young girls should feel comfortable with speaking up and reporting their trauma to the authorities so that they can receive justice and so that the assaulters can be rightfully imprisoned.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s blatant sexist statements is also a problem because as a president, he sets an example for his followers. Because of his influence, the general public might think that those type of comments about women are acceptable and should be tolerated when they actually just create a more oppressive environment towards them. Studies have shown that men who are exposed to sexist and misogynistic statements are more likely to harass women. The youth, especially are at risk of developing a misogynistic and sexist mindset due to their young age, which is detrimental to society because they carry a nation’s future. Furthermore, a lot of women are reminded of the harassment that they had to endure at family gatherings by their “creepy uncle” due to the Philippines’ culture of respect for elders and the general “boys will be boys” mindset carried by the older generation, since like the “creepy uncle” the president is also someone of power that people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to despite their overt actions.
Women often face misogyny and sexism. It can be at home, at school, at one’s workplace, or on social media platforms. It is essential that each individual must learn to give respect to women who are necessary parts of society. One should always remember to avoid victim-blaming, enabling the spread of rape culture, toxic masculinity, and most importantly, saying sexist and misogynistic statements or slurs. The Philippines has a long way to go in regards to protecting women and women’s rights so activism that involves supporting women and their rights will greatly impact the country’s progress to protect them.
References:
Abad, M. (2019, October 28). FAST FACTS: How does the Safe Spaces Act protect you? Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Bigtas, J. (2019, November 26). Filtered By: Lifestyle LIFESTYLE Toxic masculinity leads to gender-based violence, and more important reasons it needs to end. GMA News. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/healthandwellness/716796/toxic-masculinity-leads-to-gender-based-violence-and-more-important-reasons-it-needs-to-end/story/
Claudio, S. (2018, March 19). Misogyny is bad for all Filipinos [Editorial]. Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
CNN Philippines Staff. (2021, January 22). Why shattering gender stereotypes can be the downfall of toxic masculinity. CNN Philippines. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2021/1/22/why-shattering-gender-stereotypes-can-be-the-downfall-of-toxic-masculinity.html
Dollanganger, C. (2018, July 10). PHILIPPINES: Is the #BabaeAko Movement Really About Duterte? The News Lens International Edition. https://international.thenewslens.com/article/99550
Haynes, S. (2018, July 23). Women in the Philippines Have Had Enough of President Duterte's 'Macho' Leadership. Time. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Ordinario, C. (2020, March 9). More women raped, physically abused last year–govt data. Business Mirror. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Ranada, P. (2021, January 14). Sexist Duterte says Philippine presidency not a job for women. Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Rappler Staff, D. (2017, June 6). Rape within the family: The Philippines' silent incest problem. Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Salam, M. (2019, January 22). What Is Toxic Masculinity? The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html
Santos, A. P. (2018, June 7). The Price of ‘Machismo Populism’ in the Philippines. The Atlantic. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
Virtudes, S. (2020, July 11). Victim-blaming: Why survivors of sexual violence won’t come forward. Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from
This has affected me vERY deeply. I am very moved, I am inspired, I feel rejuvenated, I am- *sobs*😭😭😭