1 out of 10 Pinays abused by hubby, bf
At least 2.16 million Filipino women today, or 9 percent of their total population, were at one point victims of violence, and one out of 10 of them have been abused by loved ones and relatives.
These were the many disturbing figures presented by Elizabeth Angsioco, national chairperson of the Democratic Socialists Women of the Philippines (DSWP), during a forum held yesterday.
"What's more disturbing is the fact that the abuses were perpetrated by persons close to these victims, that is, 49 percent were abused by their husbands, 13 percent by their boyfriends, and 9 percent by their live-in partners," Angsioco lamented.
The abuses took various forms as these can be physical, sexual and psychological, and that those committed within the family is considered more injurious that assaults by strangers, she explained.
"Among the women physically abused by their husbands, 66 percent were abused more than once while 32 percent were abused countless times," according to Angsioco.
Violence against women (VAW) encompasses physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in family including battering and marital rape, sexual abuse of female children, dowry-related violence and sexual harassment, she added.
WAV also include forced pregnancy, forced sterilization, forced use of contraceptives, forced abortion, female genital mutilation and other traditional harmful practices, non-spousal violence, and prostitution, trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation.
The forum "Making the Law Work for Women: A Forum on the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9262)" was held at Hotel de Rio on June 1 and was organized by the Support Service Institute for Women (SIW) and the DSWP.
It is supported by the United Federation of Danish Workers and the Labour Movement's International Forum with funding from the Development Ministry of Denmark.
Data from the Women's Crisis Center showed that one out of 10 rape survivors was raped by a known assailant, and that 60 percent of them were forced to marry or live with the rapist.
Likewise, one out of three incest rape survivors were abused by their own father and that 50 percent of them were abused before they reached 11 years old. Sixty person of incest survivors said their fathers also abused their mothers.
On the other hand, 2.8 million Filipino males admitted to physically harming another person, 39 percent of them admitted to have harmed their wives, 15 percent have harmed their girlfriends and 4 percent have harmed their live-in partners.
To help victims and survivors of VAW, the Philippine government spends about P6 billion a year. "We need to minimize if not totally erase VAW so that these funds can be utilized in more important projects," said Angsioco, a 2004 Rose Price awardee.
The Rose Price Award is given yearly by the Denmark-based Labour Movement's International Forum to a person or an organization that has made a special effort for peace, freedom, social justice and human rights.
Angsioco received the Rose Price as recognition of her efforts to improve conditions for the women of the Philippines and her continued struggle for democratic rights in spite of very difficult conditions. Renowned past Rose Price awardees include Burma's democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (1993), the African National Congress (1994) and Ricardo Lagos (2000), the president of Chile.