Online Sexual Harassment: A Filipina’s Digital Nightmare by Ira Po
As someone who grew up on the internet, I’ve always been aware of the underlying risks and dangers of using the internet, let alone how anonymity can give people the courage to persecute and full-on disrespect others online. This is evident especially in the Philippines, wherein it is almost an obligation to have a Facebook account. However, deeply rooted in online Filipino communities is a pattern of significantly male behavior that deprives women and girls of their online freedom and safety.
In this era of quarantine, the use of social media has skyrocketed. We’ve adapted to our loss of face-to-face social interaction by consuming media, and posting our own. Nonetheless, not everyone’s online experience has been the same. Just a couple of months ago I was aimlessly scrolling through my Facebook timeline as I’m met with the usual Shoppee advertisements, memories shared by friends, and the occasional memes. What appears next, however, is a statement issued by media company ABS-CBN about the maliciously edited pictures showing two of their female talents, Sue Ramirez and Maris Racal. Curious about this subject, I dig through information and I found that there was a photoshopped picture of the two actresses circulating online, depicting them to be topless and defacing them entirely. This case reminds me that this is not the first time that this has happened, wherein a woman is sexually harassed online because of her image. Last year, former child star Xyriel Manabat spoke up against lewd comments that were being posted under her pictures. Even minors fall victim to the disgusting remarks of dominantly adult male netizens.
What’s alarming is that there are still hundreds, or even thousands of unreported cases of online sexual harassment that happen every day not just in public posts, but also in the private chats of regular Filipinas. According to a worldwide study conducted by Plan International, 68% of girls and young women in the Philippines have experienced online harassment on social media. Other than the blatant disrespect that these women faced online, what usually follows is a slew of netizens who somehow find resolve to blame the victims; telling them that it is their fault for posting pictures in “too provocative” wear as if they deserved such dehumanizing responses for wearing a bikini on the beach or shorts in the hot weather. Some even play it off as just “boys being boys” and that they should “get used to it”. It is not only the act of online sexual harassment itself but also these types of reactions that oppress women and girls by telling them that they are the ones to blame; wholly dismissing the idea of holding men accountable for their unacceptable actions.
Po, Ira
Grade 11
April 15, 2021
What is the biggest challenge facing women and girls in the Philippines today?
So, what causes this behavior? In Filipino media, women are often portrayed as passive, and submissive to their male counterparts (Prieler & Centeno). Especially in Filipino situational comedies, wherein more often than not, the roles that women play boil down to being the target of sexual harassment which is depicted as comedy (Castro). It also ties in with Christian conservatism in our country, with the idea that all women should wear modest clothing at all times as a way to “respect yourself so that others will respect you”. Sexual harassment is treated as a joke, and if any woman dares to speak against it, she is blamed and shunned with Bible passages. Eventually, these factors all feed into a Filipino mindset which soon manifested itself online in social media.
These instances of online sexual harassment will keep happening if we do not act to rid ourselves of these age-old conservative ideas. We must denormalize the objectification and hypersexualization of Filipinas in all media. Social media platforms as well should take the initiative by enforcing strict policies that provide protection and prevent inappropriate comments withholding malicious intent from being posted on their sites. What we should normalize is holding men accountable for their inappropriate actions, and recognizing how serious and damaging online sexual harassment is. We can start by teaching young boys to respect women and girls instead of teaching young girls that these wrongdoings are just “boys being boys”.
In a time and place where social media has become vital as a part of our social lives, it has increasingly become a toxic place for Filipinas. With this, let us all work together until online Filipino communities emerge as a place that empowers women and girls, instead of one that strips them of who they truly are as a person.