VOLUME XXXIV NO. 1 JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2020
Editorial
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by MAYARI
CONTENT WARNING: DOMESTIC ABUSE The home is one of the only few places considered to be safe. A place where one can feel at peace; free of threats from the world crumbling in ruin. However, behind closed doors and drawn curtains lies a new crisis that grows in silence: the increase in domestic violence and crimes against women and children. As of June 2020, 3,600 cases of domestic violence have been reported by President Duterte since lockdown protocols were effected in the country, and it is highly likely that these numbers are a mere fraction of a larger statistic—a greater disease that holds innocent people captive. And yet, many still turn a blind eye to it. Many victims are left with no means of escape in the midst of quarantine. They are subject to various forms of abuse on a daily basis with little to no contact with the outside world. Though there are certain helplines available to tend to their situations, living with their abuser further induces fear of being caught when seeking help. The “new normal” also poses a problem for both women and children wherein they are left with no choice but to accomplish work or school-related responsibilities in their home—an unsafe environment that is unfit as a workspace. In more extreme cases, both women and children are subject to sexual exploitation as a source of income to feed their families or just get by. Even worse, the unseen enablers of this alarming issue are the members of Philippine society. Despite many initiatives that focus on preserving the welfare of women and children, the country remains founded on a patriarchal mindset that diminishes the worth of women. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, women are expected to continue domestic tasks such as housework and cleaning—free of pay. The right to accessing birth control and openly engaging in discourse on reproductive health is still considered taboo, yet the sexualization of women and children is a gold mine of profit. There are never-ending contradictions which fuel motives for those who desire to exploit the voiceless. People in power do so little to address the issue, and as it stands in disdain to those who are unaffected, everyone is involved and, in some way, accountable. There are many platforms that cater to helping victims and mitigating the detrimental effects brought about by abuse, but not everyone is informed of what actions they can take to reach these lines of help. Accessibility, visibility, and understanding are the three keys to abolishing the unnoticed niceties that shape society’s view on women and children. Even in distress and uncertainty, there is still hope for those who are shackled by a world that aims to silence them, only if we draw the curtains and see the bigger picture.
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