28/11/2024
๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ | ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐ก๐ค๐จ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ค๐ค๐ง๐จ: ๐๐ค๐๐๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐
The sweet sound of laughter is what most of us picture in a place we call "home." But to some women and children, that home was filled with cries for help.
It all starts with a scream. A blood-curling scream, one you could hear from a horror movie. One broken plate, a door slamming shut, a child hiding under the dinner table, and a whip of a belt. But this case is easy to ignore. After all, it's "none of our business," why should we intervene?
To countless women and children, this is their everyday life. These brutal acts, or Violence Against Women (VAW), don't always look dramatic, just like those series we see on TV portrayed by talented actors. This wasn't written by a script. No one wanted it. No one wanted to be abused for money, popularity, or recognition. In real life, these were silent, overlooked, and often wrapped in excuses or questions like "What were they even wearing?" or "She wanted it."
Let us take the 44 Days of Hell case of Junko Furata as an example. In 1988, JapanโMisato, Saitama Prefectureโ17-year-old high schooler Junko Furata was having a walk home after school. Furuta knew every turn she took, but her life took a grim turn, resulting in her story becoming one of the darkest chapters in the history of Japan. Although she was bright, ambitious, and full of promise, she became a victim of unimaginable cruelty.
For 44 days, she endured torture at the hands of four young men in a quiet Japanese suburb. It has been stated that neighbors heard her criesโevery "Stop!", "Please!", "I'm begging you!"โand knew something was off yet, no one interfered. All because she had rejected one of the men that took advantage and tortured her.
Furata was 17 years old, didn't even reach the right age of adulthood when her life ended. Her story was still told until today, making her a perfect example of a victim of VAW (violence against women)
You may think of it as, "That could never happen here." But VAW is not a foreign issue. It's happening in our own neighborhoods. In the Philippines, thousands of VAW cases are reported every year. Many remain hidden or unjudgedโburied under a cultural belief.
The Anti-VAW Act of 2004 (RA 9262) was designed to protect women of all ages from violence, providing procedures for support and justice. But what good is a law if victims are too afraid to come forward?
Abuse may thrive in silence. It starts smallโfrom manipulation of one's beliefs and status to physical abuse. Over time, it grows into a big storm that's nearly impossible to escape. It could be a bigger toll for young women as they grow up learning that violence is normal; love comes with fear. Soon after, the people around them are covered with bruisesโverbally and physicallyโjust like they did at a youthful age.
As Martin Luther King Jr. quoted, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
VAW isn't a problem for just womenโit's a problem for all of us. There's nothing wrong with speaking up; in staying silent, it is. Speak up before it's too lateโend the silent cycle, unseen battles, and unheard cries.
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๐: Adeline Amvin Palma
๐ป: Jhaylhanz Trajano
