Here’s some good news to light up your dreary 2020: Amendments to the Anti Violence Against Women and Children law (Anti-VAWC) are one step closer to become a reality, as the House of Representatives has approved its final reading.
House Bill 5869, otherwise known as the Anti-Electronic Violence Against Women and Children bill, has passed its third hurdle in the House of Representatives after more than a year in stasis. The amendments seek to include online harassment in RA No. 9262 or the Anti-VAWC law. Once made official, the law will cover protection against the spread of non-consensual explicit videos, harassment through text messages, stalking, and the creation of social media accounts made for ill intent.
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The amendments address certain loopholes in the Anti-VAWC law, which Gabriela Women’s Party List Representative Arlene Brosas pointed out during the plenary hearing. “Violence is a stark reality that women have to struggle with every day,” she said. “This bill will give women an increased chance to fight all forms of violence and abuse.”
As tech grows, so should the laws that protect us—and these latest amendments are a step-up of what we’re in dire need of.
Art by Rogin Losa