General Santos City – When Attorney Hanna Tunisia Usman addressed the essential aspects of policies related to Gender and Development (GAD), particularly Republic Act (RA) No. 11313 (Safe Space Act) and R.A No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act) in GADvance: Creating Safe Spaces, Breaking Barriers, every MSUan was called out to protect and promote gender equality and gender inclusivity, March 19.
During a discussion in the MSU-GSC Audio-Visual Room, Atty. Usman highlighted the current state of the Philippines related to gender-based violence and discrimination, emphasizing the need to champion social justice through effective policies and laws.
© Katrina Elises
Common welfare as first priority
Atty. Usman highlighted the necessity of prioritizing the welfare of every individual, especially in imposing laws and policies, making sure that everyone was treated fairly.
“It underlies the necessity of interdependence of societal governance and equitable protection for all groups, and the ultimate goal of social justice is to achieve the good, or the common good, for the greatest number, aligning with the objectives of health, comfort, and tranquility of the state,” she said.
Moreover, she said that due to that necessity, the Safe Spaces Act or Bawal Bastos Law (R.A. 11310) was created to protect the community from sexual harassment based on their sexual preferences, identity, and expression.
“Three out of five women experience harassment in their life. Both 70% of the population of women and LGBTQIA+ members experienced sexual harassment in streets and sexual harassment from a total stranger, and these numbers are alarming,” she shared.
Atty. Usman also mentioned the provisions and important terminologies in the Safe Spaces Act, giving a clear perspective on the scope and regulations of the policy.
“This is the law that punishes gender based sexual harassment in public spaces and institution, because the numbers will tell us na palaging lugi ang mga babae in terms of physical strength than sa mga lalaki, but hindi lang si babae, but also non-binary friends they are also victims of discrimination,” she expressed.
Usman said that this law is essential to penalize those people who have committed harassment which include misogynistic, homophobic and sexist remarks.
“Ang bastos, kahit tirik ang araw, bastos pa rin, at kahit naka hijab ka pa, kung bastos talaga siya, bastos talaga siya. May nababastos na naka mini skirts, at may nababastos na naka hijab,” she emphasized.
Atty. Usman gave emphasis on the coverage of the law, and also the role of every institution to fight against gender based violence and sexual harassment.She also compared the current law to the existing Republic Act No. 7877, also known as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, outlining their differences.
In RA 7877, the focus is on the abuse of authority, influence, or moral ascendancy that facilitates the sexual harassment of a subordinate. In contrast, RA 11313 addresses the act of sexual harassment as it relates to an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
According to Atty. Usman, the state recognizes both men and women must have quality security and safety, not only in private, but also in public spaces and educational training institutions.
Safeguarding women and children
Furthermore, Atty. Usman talked about the Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004, with the provision to address the prevalence of violence against women and their children by their partners.
“Yes, merong inaabuso ng mga lalaki, however, based sa numbers, daghan ang ginaabuso ng mga babae, pati na mga bata, and it was done with their husband, ex husband, live in partner former live in partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, ex boyfriend, ex girlfriend, dating partner, former dating partner,” she expressed.
She also stated that the law protects the women in the children from physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and economic abuse.
“It is our right and obligation to protect the women and children, and it is our advocacy as a peace driven individuals, and also the mandate of the institution as indicated in the core values, to continue to champion respect and integrity towards every individual,” Usman mentioned.
Attorney Usman also highlighted in RA 9262 the case of Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS), where a woman experienced a series of violence against her partner, causing traumatic impact and mental insanity towards the victim.
She referenced the case of Philippines v. Marivic Genosa, where the Supreme Court overturned Genosa's sentence, acknowledging that her actions were driven by passion due to her husband's cumulative abuse.
The court recognized that the ongoing violence created a constant threat, justifying her act of self-defense when she killed her husband.
Equality as collective responsibility
Each student was encouraged to become a protector and initiator of gender equality and gender inclusivity by following the laws mandated, and to educate other people to become a peace driven citizen full of respect and integrity.
GADvance was initiated by the Human Rights Society (HuRiSo), in partnership with the Supreme Student Council (SSC) and different student organizations in the university, in celebration of National Women's Month 2025.
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