Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas (Facebook)



Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas has blamed what she described as the "borderline softcore pornography"-themed films that have been streaming online as contributing factors to the harmful stereotyping of women and normalized gender-based violence. Brosas had this so say even as she raised concern over the findings of the Gender Social Norms Index study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The study showed that a whopping 99.5 percent of the entire population in the Philippines hold biases against women. Brosas, in a statement, identified streaming platforms Netflix and Vivamax as some of the carriers of these violent and sexy films. She also said that online shopping platforms, including the likes of Lazada and Shopee, have also failed to impose stiffer regulations in selling what she called "sexually explicit materials". "These findings are very alarming and shows that we still have a long way to go in terms of empowering women and other marginalized sectors," said Brosas, member of the Makabyan bloc in the House of Representatives. "Women portrayed as sexual objects reinforces the country's culture of misogyny and sexism. Worse, these films are unregulated and are readily available to minors who use these online streaming applications," she underscored. Gabriela Party-list said there is a need for more comprehensive and effective measures to address gender biases in the country. "We call on the government to prioritize policies and programs that promote women's rights and gender equality, including laws that protect women from violence and discrimination and initiatives that challenge harmful social norms," concluded Brosas.