(We yield this space to the statement of Cameleon Association, a nongovernment organization that works for the healing and protection of young survivors of sexual abuse and the prevention of sexual abuse in Western Visayas, due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
RECENTLY, discussions on rape and victim-blaming have been circulating in several social media sites and have started debates on the relevance of a victim’s clothes to being raped.
We condemn victim-blaming and using a woman’s clothes to justify the act of rape.
Rape is an act of violence and aggression. People across all ages, sexualities, genders, appearances, cultures, religions and ethnicity can be raped. Like any other crime, rape does not require any pre-requisite to happen except for the rapist’s intention to commit the act.
Rape happens when a person forces himself upon another and have sex without consent. Consent means giving permission, an agreement to do something; it should be communicated clearly and should not be implied by what a person said or did in the past, nor by what he/she wears.
Rape is committed by rapists. A person’s clothes should not be used to justify why he/she was raped, nor be viewed as an invitation for the rapist to commit the crime. There are victims of rape who wore t-shirts, long pants, dresses and even diapers and nappies when they were abused. There is no dress code for rape.
Victim-blaming excuses the rapists. Blaming the victims for what happened to them means excusing the criminal behavior of the rapists and is equivalent to erasing the crime they committed.
Victim-blaming also forces the rape victims to stay silent and not to report to authorities because of fear of being judged and being told it was their fault. This line of thinking normalizes the crime of rape and enables the perpetrators to continue their criminal behavior and prey on more victims.
We are one with those who are bravely making a stand and speaking up for those who were robbed of their voices. We also implore everyone to find ways to be informed, to be involved and to do something to report and prevent rape – a form of violence.
