by Adobo

The Quezon City Safe Spaces initiative has been in place for a few years now, but whether or not there have been significant results following its implementation proves a difficult question to answer. Depending on who you ask, the people’s perception of the effectiveness of the initiative varies because it depends on many other variables that are hard to control, even with the use of law. Such variables include a person’s social status, family background, and education. Taking these into consideration, the implementation of an ordinance, or even a law, to prevent sexual harassment is not enough to tackle its root causes – all of which contribute to internalized misogyny and a mindset that perpetuates a society where victims are at fault: for not being careful enough, for not dressing properly, for “hanging out with the boys”, and a lot of other excuses which ultimately protect harassers from facing accountability for their own actions.

Coming from a province where public spaces are generally safe, it took a while for me to adjust to Quezon City when I moved here in 2015 as a freshman. I was only 16 years old then, and apart from adapting to the UP culture, balancing the academic load and adjusting to living in a dorm by myself, I also felt anxious when going out by myself because I had to deal with catcalling and getting uncomfortable stares from men in the streets and in other public places. I had to train myself to take precautionary measures to avoid getting catcalled when going out, and this included being self-conscious of the way I dressed, being mindful of how I responded to people, and trying hard to avoid making eye contact with strangers for fear of being harassed. At some point, I experienced something very traumatizing for me and a friend of mine was so bothered by it that she gave me a can of pepper spray which I kept in my bag at all times. As I grew older, I started to realize that this wasn’t right; that women shouldn’t have to live in constant fear and anxiety over something that is out of their control.  

Sexual harassment does not happen because a woman is not careful enough. It doesn’t happen because a woman is not dressed properly, or because she was hanging out with boys. Sexual harassment happens as a result of a society that makes harassers think that they’re entitled to women’s bodies, and no matter how careful a woman is, she will be at risk as long as there are people out there who think that it’s okay to harass women because it will always be her fault for being “too tempting”. Even with the safe spaces initiative in place, it is not enough given the society we live in, especially with a misogynistic president that makes bold statements against women, completely oblivious (or perhaps indifferent) to the impact it has on the public.

Oppression against women has gone on for so long, but it is time for it to come to an end. As a citizen taking part in this initiative, I call on the government and the people to rethink the way our society works – to empower women and girls from a young age, to teach young boys and men to treat us as equals, and to abandon these outdated beliefs that perpetuate an oppressive society for women.  Change must start somewhere, and by being empowered to act and empowering other women to take control, as well as understanding how the law works, I contribute to making the safe spaces initiative more effective.