PHILIPPINES

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo said on Tuesday, March 13, that the country’s
leaders should be heading efforts against gender stereotyping and discrimination against women.

At a talk on women empowerment and gender equality, Robredo however conceded that given public
pronouncements by people in power – including that of President Rodrigo Duterte’s – society’s view of
women might just remain unchanged.

“Ganoon pa din. Parang ano lang, naha-highlight masyado iyong pagtingin na mababa sa mga babae.
Nare-reduce iyong mga kababaihan sa mas mababang uri dahil lang siya babae. Ito, naha-highlight
dahil sa mga statements na sinasabi, lalo na ng mga leaders,” said Robredo.

(It’s just going to be the same. This inferior view of women is only highlighted. Women are reduced as
lesser individuals just because they’re women. These views are highlighted in the statements that are
made, especially by our leaders.)

Robredo was asked her take on Philippine society’s treatment of women, given Duterte’s public
remarks. The former Davao mayor has been known for making sexist remarks in public speeches.

“Ito iyong nakikita, napapakinggan ng mga kabataan. So lalong nare-reinforce iyong mga hindi pantay
na pagtingin sa babae saka sa lalaki. Nakakalungkot ito. Kinakampanya nga natin na basagin na sana
ito. At incumbent sa amin na namumuno na manguna, manguna na iyong gender stereotyping, iyong
mababang pagtingin sa mga kababaihan, baguhin na,” the Vice President added.

(This is what the youth see and hear. So the notion that women are not equal to men is reinforced. This
is saddening because we are working to correct this view. It’s incumbent for leaders on the frontlines to
correct gender stereotyping – viewing women as lesser persons.)

Robredo has long been an advocate of women’s rights, even before she entered politics. A member of
the once-ruling Liberal Party (LP), her relationship with Duterte and his allies has been shaky, to say the
least.

She was once a member of his Cabinet but resigned in December 2016 after she was told to stop
attending meetings.

Prior to her resignation, Duterte joked about his apparent admiration of Robredo during a public event
in Tacloban City. Robredo was housing secretary then, and the audience was made mostly of Super
Typhoon Haiyan survivors.

Duterte has been repeatedly criticized for his remarks about and against women but his Palace
spokespersons have insisted that the former Davao mayor is still pro-women.

Rappler. (2018, March 13). Gender Discrimination. 198087-robredo-sexism-gender-discrimination-

philippines-leaders
KOREA

On June 9, about 22,000 South Korean women marched through the streets of Seoul. The protest –
reportedly the largest by women in South Korean history – focused on the proliferation of so-called “spy
cams,” tiny cameras used to invade women’s privacy, filming them in toilets and up skirts, with images
often posted online. Activists say the government is not taking the issue seriously – except in the rare
case where a man is the victim.

Spy cam use is one of many rights violations women face in South Korea. The World Economic Forum
recently ranked the country an abysmal 116 out of 144 countries in gender equality. In a survey of 2,000
South Korean men by the Korean Institute of Criminology, nearly 80 percent said they had physically or
psychologically abused a girlfriend. A 2015 survey of 500 people by the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Family found more than 78 percent of sexual harassment victims in the workplace did not seek recourse
but “put up with it,” often believing they would not get help if they complained.

Abortion is legal only in cases of rape or incest, risks to the mother’s health, or if the parents cannot
marry legally or have specific hereditary disorders or communicable diseases. Even so, married women
need their spouses’ permission for an abortion, and illegal abortion is punishable by up to one year in
prison or fines up to 2 million won (US$1,820). Healthcare workers providing abortions face up to two
years in prison.

The recent protest was the latest of a growing number of demands for change. In April 2018, more than
200,000 people signed a petition demanding a ban in sales of hidden cameras and stronger punishments
for hidden camera crimes. In October 2017, more than 235,000 people signed a petition demanding
legalization of abortion. A lawsuit on this issue is moving forward in the courts. The #MeToo movement
took hold last year, with women demanding government action on sexual harassment.

President Moon Jae-in promised a cabinet with at least 30 percent women – and kept that promise. He
pledged to strengthen the law on workplace sexual harassment, but has yet to do so. On abortion, the
government kicked the issue down the road, saying they will study the issue and follow the ruling of an
ongoing constitutional court case.

Saturday’s protest was a clear message. South Korean women see inequality all around them, they have
had enough, and are demanding action by the government. Let’s hope their government heard the
message.

Barr, H. (2018, June 14). south-korean-women-are-fed-inequality