Gender Justice Awards.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Rina Jimenez-David

LAWYERS who handle cases of violence against women tell me that they are often astounded that some judges aren't even aware that a law against sexual harassment has been passed. A few don't even know that rape has been re-classified from a "crime against chastity" to a "crime against a person." And many judges, here and in other parts of the world, still believe that what a woman was wearing at the time of the assault, whether she was out on the streets at night unaccompanied by a man, whether she had previous sexual experience or not, are all relevant issues in a rape case.

Indeed, crucial to raising the level of public understanding of the issue of violence against women as well as enshrining the principle of the equality of men and women before the law is the awareness of our …