Violence against women reach new levels – lawmaker

REP. Luz Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s Party, on Saturday, expressed alarm over the spate of crimes and violence against young women in the country.

“The incidence of crime and violence victimizing women and children intensifies and proliferates. Moreover, these cases of violence are becoming more brutal and more heinous,” Ilagan said in a statement.

Ilagan cited a series of brutal killings of young women including University of the Philippines- Los Baños student Victoria Reyes, University of Santo Tomas graduate Cyrish Magalang, who was killed in Cavite, and television model and talent, Julie Rodelas.

Ilagan raised the alarm as the women’s party-list group kicks off activities for the commemoration of the November 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the One Billion Rising Campaign to End Violence Against Women.

The militant lawmaker noted that the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection desk in 2011, reported an average of 35 cases of violence against women and children every day, including two to three cases of rape every day.

“One woman being violated in a day is one too many,” Ilagan stressed.

“The growing poverty, the largely inaccessible and slow judicial processes and the involvement of several police and military elements in these heinous crimes all contribute to heightened incidence of crime and violence against women,” she added.

Ilagan, however, explained that women’s poverty makes them more vulnerable to violence, with more women forced to take on graveyard shifts or fall prey to illegal recruiters, sex traffickers and pimps.

“Women are also perceived to be easy targets for thefts and robberies. Madalas silang nabibiktima dahil akala ay mahina o hindi lalaban,” Ilagan said. “The culture of impunity is further cultivated and violence against women proliferates as fewer perpetrators are convicted and policies that give persons in authority the license to rape, abuse and violate like Oplan Bayanihan continues,” she added.

Earlier, the United Nations has urged the governments worldwide to the challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence against women.

UN Secretary General Ban KiMoon said that millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in what constitutes as appalling violations of their human rights.