2019 SURVEY REPORT

Safe Street: Voice of the Silent Victims

Feb - Mar 2019

This research inquiry aims to determine the experiences of Filipinos with street harassment. Done through online survey (Google form) with 60 willing respondents, in which 12 are male (20%) and 48 are female (80%).

The respondents are mostly Millennials and Gen Z that could read, write, and comprehend. Across all ages, 12 to 55 and above, wolf whistling and catcalling are the most experienced cases.

1. Do you feel safe walking alone?

38.3% YES

61.7% NO

Most of the respondents do not feel comfortable by themselves when wandering a place in the Philippines. Contrary to what most people might think, majority of sexual harassment incidents happen in broad daylight. Seventy percent of cases happen during the day, between 6 am and 6 pm. Only 4% of cases were reported to occur at night. Also, the survey revealed that men feel safer than women.

2. Have you ever felt harassed by someone on the streets?

51.7% YES

48.3% NO

Half of the respondents admitted to have experienced street harassment. These are still big numbers and every harassment story should not be left unheard.

In the Philippines, 58% of such incidents happen on the streets, major roads, and eskinitas. Physical forms of sexual harassment occur mostly in public transport (Rodriquez, 2016).

3. Have you ever experienced direct street harassment (whistling, catcalling, followed, sexually touched, groping, forced, etc.)?

66.7% YES

33.3% NO

Three-fourths of the respondents have experienced different kinds of street harassment.

4. Is catcalling considered as a compliment?

5% YES

95% NO

Majority of the respondents agreed that catcalling is not a compliment. We agree!

5. Do you feel mad and uncomfortable with catcalling?

83.3% YES

16.7% NO

This concludes that catcalling is not flattering at all. If ever, it puts the person in an uncomfortable state.

6. Should there be a concrete action against street harassment?

95% YES

5% NO

Most of the respondents believe that there is a corresponding justice against street harassment.

7. Are you aware about the local policies and laws against street harassment?

60% YES

40% NO

The Quezon City local government amended its Gender and Development Code, increasing the penalties against violators.

Light violations (verbal sexual harassment) and medium violations (stalking, visual harassment) warrant an imprisonment for 1 to 30 days or a fine ranging from P1,000 to P5,000.

Severe violations (physical sexual harassment) set higher sanctions, with an imprisonment lasting from 1 month to 1 year and a fine of P3,000 to P5,000.

It was announced on National TV and we hope that this would not be limited to Quezon City only, but all throughout the Philippines.

8. Should street harassment be talked about more?

98.3% YES

1.7% NO

The UN Women argued that street harassment is not well-discussed in the Philippines (Rodriquez, 2016).

9. Does the concept of 'consent' gets ignored nowadays?

95% YES

5% NO

Majority of the respondents feel that people can sometimes cross the line and get insensitive.

10. Would you stand up for other people getting catcalled/harassed?

86.7% YES

13.3% NO

There are still good people in the world! 87% agreed to help others who are being catcalled. The UN Women aims to promote general public awareness to bring a message is for women, men, and bystanders because they believe that a lot of bystanders don't do anything (Rodriquez, 2016).

References:

1. https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/124993-sexual-harassment-women-streets