LOGARTA
Dr. Madrileña de la Cerna declared in her column last Sunday: “(Shoot them in the vagina, so that…), I could not believe when I read about the incident because it was uttered by the head of state in a public even supposedly to welcome back to the fold the rebel returnees.
People laughed but it was not funny. It not funny. It was a declaration that women could just be eliminated by targeting their reproductive organ. Women were not just the ones insulted but the whole country as well.
Adding injury to the insult was the defense of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, ‘Please don’t take the President’s statement literally.
You must get used to his colorful language.’” And later she stated: “Getting used to “colorful language” is dangerous for it leads to desensitizing people.”
Presidential utterances now require “Strict Parental Guidance.”
But it is not only the president, other public officials have issued statements which perpetuate harmful misconceptions, especially gender-related among the young. These wrong ideas can lead to violence.
If the impressionable young are often exposed to utterances de-valuing, demeaning women, they would have no qualms about the way they treat females. And yet these are violations of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law and the Magna Carta of Women.
Madz’s statement really provoked me into looking for ways to keep the young “sensitive.” One way is to remind them of our early Asian past. We had reverence for all, not just for human beings but for all creation, even spaces. The women were very precious, too.
They could be priests!
Integrating gender in the curriculum is also helpful because it clarifies the concept of “culture” and its shaping impact.
We can then begin to be liberated from gender stereotypes. We come closer to realizing that we are all persons made to the image of a Divine Creator. Absolutely no one deserves disrespect, or taunting, much more violence.
In gender sensitivity training there is a whole discussion on language. Words like policeman, businessman, fireman, fisherman tend to exclude females. Right there in our consciousness we see a male. So it is fairer to use all embracing words like entrepreneur, firefighter, or peace officer.
Sadly there are curse words or “bad words” dragging in females.
Various art forms awaken sensitivity as we share in some way the production process of the artist. There is no need to be crude or harsh in order to awaken consciousness regarding violence against women or the horrors of poverty.
Many beautiful films have exposed the exploitation of women. Award winning films have also shown powerfully the competence of females and their services to humanity.
It was more than appropriate for at least five writers to protest the insensitivity of our leader. Let us all together creatively work to prevent our young from callousness.