[PODCAST] Making Space: Sexual harassment survivors ‘fighting to fight’

MANILA, Philippines – In 2019, the pervasiveness of sexual harassment came to light as multiple cases were reported in various institutions around the country – leading Filipino youth to protest and call for justice for those who have had to endure it.

In the same year, the Safe Spaces Act was passed, filling in the gaps of the outdated Anti-Sexual Harassment Act. The new law seeks to protect people in both online and public spaces, and is seen to push the anti-sexual harassment campaign further.

As those who want to end sexual harassment look to a more promising future, we explore the challenges that survivors have had to face – and may continue to face in the future.

In this episode of Making Space, we speak to Elda Almario, a woman who was sexually harassed in her workplace in 2014. Elda shares her experience as she took her abuser and her employer to court, fighting a battle where the odds seemed stacked against her. We also speak to her sister, Mek Yambao, who accompanied her throughout the legal process.

In the same episode, we get input from Dr Carol Sobritchea, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) panel on women and gender, who talks about how far the anti-sexual harassment movement has come, and what more needs to be done to put an end to sexual harassment.

Listen to Elda’s story, and Dr. Carol’s input, in the podcast below:

– Rappler.com

This episode is part of our year-opener series called CHAMPIONING THE CHILD 2020. Listen to other talks in the series on Making Space, Rappler’s podcast on gender, health, education, and everything in between:

• [PODCAST] Making Space: Are your kids vaccinated?
• [PODCAST] Making Space: Married at 14

Each of the podcasts in the series has a corresponding video explainer, which you can watch here:

• WATCH: Youth pushes PH anti-sexual harassment movement further
• WATCH: Bill ending child marriage inches forward in Congress
• WATCH: PH rising up from a year of outbreaks
• WATCH: Lumad children want to be back in classrooms