This Lent, the Filipino women are being doubly persecuted with the impending passage of an anti-women bill. President Noynoy Aquino is not bent on vetoing a law which targets women in prostitution as criminals/vagrants!
For nine years, women’s groups, survivors and advocates have been pushing for an anti-prostitution bill that will shift the accountability away from the bought and onto the buyers as well as the profiteering business. Thus, for legislators to pass a bill that keeps the women criminalized, while the pimps are decriminalized, is sheer callousness and misogyny. It is nothing but early and crass electioneering in the guise of being pro-poor.
PNoy has signed RA 10158, a law amending the Vagrancy Act, but singling out women in prostitution to remain as criminals. Highly unconstitutional. Contradictory to the Magna Carta of Women, the Anti-Trafficking Law, among others. The height of betrayal this Lent.
Together with some Non-Government Organizations, Socio-Civic and Youth Groups, the Coalition Against Women Trafficking - Asia Pacific organized -
The 14 Stations of the Cross of Women in Prostitution.
Station 1.
Magdalena was born to poverty, in the rural areas.
Station 2.
Magdalena was sexually abused by her own uncle and grandfather.
Station 3.
Magdalena escaped to the city and worked as a domestic worker.
Station 4.
Magdalena was sexually harassed by her employer.
Station 5.
Magdalena was recruited by a pimp to earn in Cubao.
Station 6.
Magdalena was raped by her pimp.
Station 7.
Magdalena was raped by her first customer.
Station 8.
Magdalena was bought for 250 pesos by her customer, the pimp took half of it.
Station 9.
Magdalena was forced to use drugs by her pimp, she took it to numb herself.
Station 10.
Magdalena was used by more than 5 customers in a night.
Station 11.
Magdalena contracted sexually transmitted infection, severe anemia and tuberculosis.
Section 12.
Magdalena was arrested by the police. She was asked: “in bed or in jail?”
Section 13.
Magdalena’s head was repeatedly hit by a customer, she had to escape death by running out of the motel naked.
Section 14.
Legislators of the 15th Congress and earlier terms want to keep Magdalena criminalized, refusing to criminalize buyers and pimps instead of her, refusing to give services and support to more than half a million more Magdalenas in the Philippines.
Texts: Jean Enriquez - Executive Director of Coalition Against Women Trafficking - Asia Pacific
Decriminalize the women in prostitution. Shift the accountability
towards the buyers and the business.
(verified by yahoo! phils writers with malacanang records. the only difference is now, it has PNoy's signature after "approved")
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