Sexual harassment among top concerns of Pinays in UAE

The top three concerns of Filipinas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are sexual harassment, unwanted pregnancies, and abuse of domestic workers, said a survey conducted by “Ilustrado,” a Filipino society magazine in Dubai.

A report Gulf News quoted Lalaine Chu-Benitez, “Ilustrado” Editor in Chief as saying “Pinays often keep quiet when something happens to them. They cry in silence. People will treat Filipinas differently only if they react differently to abuse and harassment.”

Chu-Benitez explained that sexual harassment is not limited to verbal abuse.

“It involves intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature. It includes a range of behaviour from mild transgressions and annoyances to actual sexual abuse or assault,” Gulf news quoted her as saying.

In the report, she explained that sexual abuse does not only mean rape although it is an extreme type of abuse.

She said even teasing, inappropriate touching, molestation, and leering are forms of sexual abuse.

“It all boils down to the same thing: a violation of a woman’s dignity,” Chu-Benitez said in the report.

Warning against being too friendly

Chu-Benitez encouraged Filipinas to observe the differences in the cultures of the Philippines and their host countries.

“In our culture, it’s normal for a woman to make friends easily, smile a lot and refer to people as ‘my friend.’ In this part of the world, that is often misconstrued as a come-on. So many of our women don’t understand the impact of cultural differences and that lack of awareness often lands them in trouble,” Gulf News quoted Chu-Benitez as saying.

Out-of-wedlock pregnancies

Chu-Benitez said there is a rising number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies among Filipinas in the UAE.

In the report, she said Filipinas should understand that “what happens to them is their own responsibility, not anyone else’s.”

“If a woman learns to love and respect herself, she won’t allow a man to abuse her, an employer to mistreat her, or put herself into a situation which may land her in legal trouble. Self-respect and awareness is all that’s needed for change to occur,” Gulf news quoted her as saying.

No age limit

Meanwhile, the report also quoted Jhasmine Cipriano, Chairperson of Gabriella, a non-government group for Filipinas in the UAE, as saying, “Abuse is abuse, and there is no age limit.”

“Women should be able to identify the difference between friendliness and harassment. Ignorance is never an excuse,” Cipriano added.

Sexual harassment

According to “un.org,” sexual harassment means “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.”

The website cited examples of sexual harassment such as:
Pressure for sexual favors;
Unwanted deliberate touching or pinching;
Unwanted sexual looks;
Unwanted sexual teasing or jokes;
Sexual comments about a person’s clothing or body, and
Sexually suggestive signals, among others.
– VVP, GMA News