Discrimination – the act of making distinctions

between human beings based on groups, classes, or

other categories to which they are perceived to
belong; typically occurs when individuals are treated
in a way which is worse than the way people are
usually treated, on the basis of their actual or
perceived membership in certain groups or social
categories.

Social Stigma – the disapproval of, or discrimination

agai nst a pe rs on bas e d on pe rc e i vabl e s o c i a l
characteristics that serve to distinguish them from
other members of the society.
Gender-based
violence – any act
that is perpetuated
against a person’s will
and is based on
gender norms and
unequal power
relationships.
Bullying – the use of
force, coercion, or
threat, to abuse,
aggressively
dominate, or
intimidate.
Criteria for Bullying:
1. Hostile intent
2. Imbalance of Power
3. Repetition
4. Distress

Sexual Harassment – any form of sexual

behavior that is offensive, humiliating, or
intimidating.
Gender Inequality – legal, social, and cultural
situation in which sex and gender determine
different rights and dignity for men and
women, which are reflected in their unequal
access to or enjoyment of rights, as well as the
assumption of stereotyped social and cultural
roles. (e.g. usually, men are socially regarded as
being of higher value. This asymmetrical situation is
present in many areas of social life and can lead to
violence – physical, verbal, or psychological.)
*European Institute for Gender Equality (UIGE)
**unequal treatment or perceptions of individual
based on their gender.
 THE ISSUE OF CONSENT
AND POWER
Sexual consent refers to
voluntary, conscious, and
empathic participation in a
sexual act, which can be
withdrawn at any time (Cited
by Lucas & Fox, retrieved
2020). Sexual consent is the
baseline for what
psychologists and sociologists
consider normal – acceptable
and healthy – sexual behavior.
THE ISSUE OF CONSENT AND POWER
When engaging in sexual
behaviors with a partner, a clear
and explicit understanding of
your boundaries, as well as your
partner’s boundaries, is essential.
Discussing personal boundaries
prior to sexual involvement
reduces the likelihood of
miscommunication and
unwanted sexual advances.
 CONSENT
Simply put, consent means each person wants
to participate in whatever physical or sexual
act that is happening. The following are
guidelines for ensuring consent between
partners:
ü Consent is not just a lack of no. You need a
YES! Ask for it.
ü Always Ask before you touch someone. It’s
easy and respectful.
ü Say what you want to do. Ask what they
want to do.
Respect the answer no matter what!
ü People who are drunk, high, or asleep
CANNOT give consent.
Rape – the use of force, intimidation,
or threat to coerce a targeted
individual into a non-consensual
sexual intercourse or any related
non-consensual sexual activity.
Criteria for Rape (RA8353):
1. The sexual activity is coerced by
force, threat, or intimidation
2. The offended party is deprived of
reason or otherwise unconscious
3. There is utilization of a deceitful
scheme or grave abuse of authority
4. The offended party is 12 years old
or mentally unstable
In many circumstance, the power
imbalance between the victim and
the harasser is a common feature
of sexual harassment cases. This
power imbalance between the
parties often impacts the ability of
the victim to resist or expressly
indicate that the conduct is
unwelcome and may perpetuate
the harassment or worsen its
impact on the harassed person.
DEVELOPMENTS
House panels approve bill raising age for statutory rape to 16
By Kristel Limpot, CNN Philippines
Published Aug 27, 2020 10:25:10 PM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 27) — A bill which

seeks to raise the age of sexual consent in the Philippines to
16 years old was approved on Thursday by the House
Committees on Revision of Laws and Welfare of Children.
Under the country’s Anti-Rape Law signed in 1997, a sexual
intercourse is automatically considered as statutory rape if
the victim is under 12 years old — the lowest in Southeast
Asia.
While the law also criminalizes sex with minors under age 18,
it only does so if consent is not present or if the act involves
force, threat, or intimidation.
The substitute bill further seeks to amend the definition of
rape to include certain acts of perversion for sexual
gratification, and will not extinguish criminal liability despite
the presence of forgiveness or subsequent marriage
between the rapist and the victim.
Date Rape and Marital Rape:
Nonconsensual sex coerced by force,
intimidation, or unconsciousness,
between individuals involved in a
romantic relationship may still be
considered as rape. The common
misconception is that dating and
marriage is a legitimate excuse for
nonconsensual sexual activity, or
even a form of perpetual consent.
This, however, violates the ethical
principle of consent and, like other
forms of rape, have damaging
impact on the victim’s overall well-
being.
Date Rape and Marital Rape is often coupled
by power imbalance between partners.
The following is a power imbalance assessment
questionnaire:
qDo you and your partner trust each other equally?
qDo you each have autonomy – separate friends
and activities?
qDoes your partner pressure you to do things you
don’t want to do?
qDoes your partner tell you no one else would ever
love you?
qDoes your partner ever scare you with the things
you do or say? If you answered yes to these
questions, power imbalance is likely present in
the relationship.
Synthesis
Gender-related violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in
gender inequality, and continue to be one of the most notable
human rights violation within societies. Women, along with
persons who identified as LGBTQ, particularly those belonging to
cultural minorities, have been target of discrimination and fell
victim to gender-related violence repeatedly throughout history.

At the dawn of the 20th Century, efforts directed towards

eliminating attitudes and behaviors often identified as
precursors to gender-related violence slowly emerged. Women’s
rights movements along with some LGBTQ rights movements
begin to gain the recognition they fought for in years. A 2018
article by Roblyn Detory, for instance, noted that: “women
around the world are speaking up and stepping forward in their
millions, calling out the injustice they experience every day.”

In the Philippines, the women’s movements have achieved

numerous gains in terms of economic, political, and social
inequality. Nevertheless, a lot of things remain to be done. As
Hega and her colleagues would put it, “Inequality in political
representation and economic opportunities and aggression,
along with violence brought by the specter of patriarchy that
persists up to the present, remains notable and cannot be
overlooked.” Furthermore, they stressed, “while women’s
movement in the Philippines demonstrated growth and
momentum, women in the minority like lesbians, bisexual and
transwomen, still grapple for their struggle in the movement.”
Synthesis
We all have varying attitudes about persons who identified
with genders that are inconsistent with their ascribed gender
at birth (based on sex at birth), and these attitudes, deeply
rooted in our culture, belief systems, and moral, religious, or
spiritual convictions, are valid. We have the right to remain
faithful to the teachings passed down to us by persons
significant to us, particularly those that are deeply shared by
the community we identify with.

Nevertheless, it is our duty to recognize which of our attitudes

tend to feed the tendency to reserve kindness and respect
only to those who share our values, lifestyle, and belief
systems. It is vital to understand that tolerance and respect is
not synonymous to compromise. To own a personal belief is
one thing; to influence others to agree with you is natural, but
to shove it forcibly into someone else’s throat using any form
of violence is a different story. We can disagree and still treat
others kindly. When we begin to see the worth of others as
persons, apart from their sex, genders, or social status, we
open up to the possibility of creating a better world.