“There is nothing funny about the sexual exploitation of women and children and the illicit sex trade in the Philippines. Adam Carolla and CBS should issue a formal apology. It is these types of irresponsible comments that help reinforce the culture of violence against women” says Raquel Redondiez, Chairwoman of Gabriela-USA.
Filipinos, but they are also harmful to the thousands of women and children who are involuntarily trafficked and forced into the sex trade every year as a result of the Philippine nation-state’s impoverished economic conditions.” says Terrie Cervas of SIGAW, a Los Angeles-based group of Filipinas.
Since the Philippines’ nominal independence from U.S. colonial rule in 1946, U.S. military bases were banned from the land. However, the U.S. has been able to evade justice by enacting the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which has allowed the continued U.S. military presence throughout the archipelago. The VFA has promoted the prevalence of U.S. military personnel to act with impunity. U.S. military presence in the Philippines promotes the sex trade industry, resulting in massive cases of sexual exploitation including the involuntary rape and trafficking of women and children.
“We have not forgotten Nicole who was raped by U.S. Marine Daniel Smith and the countless other Filipino women and children who have been victimized as a result of institutionalized racism and American media’s hypersexualization of Pinays.” says Valerie Francisco, Chair of Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment, a New York- based Filipino-American group.
To combat institutionalized violence and oppression, especially towards Filipino women and children, Gabriela-USA launched an educational campaign in February called “iVOW to Fight VAW”. The campaign seeks increase awareness and raise public condemnation of violence against women (Vaw), as well as education diverse communities on the root causes of the different forms of violence. Carolla’s crude comments have proven the need for such conversations to continue in order to fight violence against women and children.
Gabriela-USA is a national alliance of progressive Filipino women organizations and an overseas chapter of Gabriela Philippines, with Babae in San Francisco, Pinay Sa Seattle, Sisters of Gabriela Awaken in Los Angeles, and Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment in New York City.
For reference:
Gabriela National Alliance of Women in the Philipppines
Address: 35 Scout Delgado Street Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City 1103 Philippines
Telefax: (632) 3744423, (632) 3712302
Public Information Department
Gabriela National Office
(+632) 3712302
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Gender Issues
