"In order to appear strong and show force, men inflict violence."
"I'm afraid to go out
at night because men are becoming more and more violent."
"No matter what your
age is, if they want to harass you, they will."
Those are only some of the
statements of victims of violence. Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC),
and we are no stranger to these four words. It is real. It is happening. It is
claiming lives. And it is becoming worse. Men are called leaders and providers,
while women are the supporters and nurturers. But as time passes by, men seek
for more power to the point that they violate their wives or worst, their
children. Many Filipino women and children continue to experience different
forms of abuse everyday. Some experience physical violence such as punching,
kicking, or hitting. Another form is sexual violence which is the most
disturbing form. Rape, sexual harassment, forced engagement in sexual
activities, sexually suggestive remarks, and incest are some examples of sexual
violence. Intimidation, stalking, harassment, humiliation and verbal abuse are
examples of psychological violence. And lastly is the economic abuse or
violence which include destroying property, making women financially dependent,
banning work opportunities and deprivation of resources. According to the DSWD
in the year 2014, 3,168 girls experienced abuse and 131 of them were babies
under 12 months. Age is not a problem when a man wants to harass. Even if
you're a baby or an old woman, you can be a victim of violence. After harassing
and abusing them, 1,149 girls were being abandoned and neglected. And most of
the women, especially children are being sexually abused. The painful thing is
that, most of the cases of sexually abused children are by incest. Which means,
they aren't even safe inside their homes, with their family. And yes, policemen
and other politicians are the enforcers of the law against violence. But, they
committed most of the cases about violence. Policemen, soldiers, retired
personnel, and even priests. Imagine, they should be the one helping us in
preventing and stopping violence against women and children but they are the
suspects. What is happening to us?
I hope this served as an
eye-opening to everybody to stop violence against women and children. And for
those who turns a blind eye whenever they witness these things, wake up people!
Remember every victim that has died because of physical abuse, sexual abuse,
and psychological abuse. Think of every baby, who never got the chance to grow
up and see the beauty of the world because of violence. Think of every old
woman, who can't fight back and got nothing to do but cried and asked for help.
Think of every teenager and kid, who lost their right and dignity at a very
young age. Think of every mother and wife, who tried their best to love and
stay beside their husbands. When a victim comes to you, help them. If you are a
victim, tell it to someone. We should help each other. Are you still gonna let
these things happen? How many more lives are we gonna lost just to satisfy
these people? Let us pull the plug on the violence against women and children.
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