BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
WOMEN have been longing for equality with men for thousands of years and began campaigning and marching only two hundred years ago for their rights and dignity to be respected. Throughout history, they have suffered discrimination and oppression and were considered property and were sold for sex to old men. Men ruled the world, so-called “honor killings” happen frequently in Pakistan where in 2021, according to the Human Rights Commission, as many as 470 girls were killed in 2021 but human rights workers say the number could reach a staggering 1,000 a year.
Around the world, women resisted and gradually fought for their rights. On Sept. 17, 1937, Philippine women won the right to vote and many rights have been won since then. It could take three hundred years to achieve equality for all women, according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. We celebrated International Women’s Day last March 8 and Women’s Month this month in the Philippines. The theme this year is Accelerating Equality and Empowerment for Women.
Throughout history, males dominated, abused, and enslaved women and children to have sex at any time and could rape with impunity. Even children were raped as they are today. Although in the last 40 years a great awaking on girls’ rights has changed apathy into action to defend the victims of sexual abuse.
There is a misogynistic attitude of hatred and contempt for women and girls present in society and institutions where empowered women are a threat to male historical patriarchy. Violence and exploitation of women is growing as seen on social media allegedly led by the likes of men such as Andrew Tate and his brother. They are allegedly women- haters and blame women for rape.
They are presently arrested and detained in Romania on human trafficking charges, woman abuse and exploitation. Tate was banned on Twitter but recently allowed back on by Elon Musk, the new owner. BBC researchers found that Tate’s following on Twitter shot up from 150,000 in November 2022 to a present astounding five million followers. Most of them are young men that share his views and desires to control and dominate women.
There are the brave and courageous young women that fight back against their rapists. Now almost 19, Angel (not her real name) told her story as a survivor of childhood incest and multiple rape. She addressed a gathering at the Preda Foundation 49th anniversary recently where two ambassadors, Ambassador David Hartman of Canada and Ambassador William Carlos of Ireland, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. Of Zambales, distinguished officials and international observers listened to her story.
She told the silent and intent gathering that when she was six years old she lived in fear after her father raped her one night. She was afraid to tell anyone and buried the memory and pain and hurt. She pretended nothing happened. When she was eight years old, it happened again. Angel tried to escape but he caught her and she was raped again. “Why did you do it, Papa?” she asked him later. “Because I love you, tell no one, or your mother will be hurt,” he answered. She asked, “Is this love?” (To be continued)/PN
