Official Statement of Cameleon Association Inc. on Rape and Victim-Blaming

Recently, discussions on the topics of rape and victim-blaming have been circulating in several social media sites and have started debates on the relevance of a victim’s clothes to being raped.

CAMELEON Association Inc. condones victim-blaming and using a woman’s clothes to justify the act of rape. As an organization that works for the healing and protection of young girl survivors of sexual abuse and prevention of child sexual abuse in Western Visayas, we see this currently trending topic as an opportunity to reach out and educate the public about rape.

Rape is an act of violence and aggression. People across all ages, sexualities, genders, appearances, cultures, religions and ethnicity can be raped. Like any other crime, rape does not require any pre-requisite to happen except for the person’s intention to commit the act. Rape happens when a person forces themselves upon another and have sex with him/her without consent. Consent means giving permission or an agreement to do something; it should be communicated clearly and should not be implied by what a person said or did in the past, nor by what he/she wears.

Rape is caused by rapists. A person’s clothes should not be used to justify why he/she was raped, nor be viewed as an invitation for the rapist to commit the crime. There are victims of rape who wore t-shirts, long pants, dresses and even diapers and nappies during the time they were abused. There is no dress code for rape.

Victim-blaming excuses the rapists. Blaming the victims for what happened to them means excusing the behaviors of the rapists and is equivalent to admitting they did not commit a crime. Victim-blaming also forces the rape victims to stay silent and not to report to authorities because of fear of being judged and being told that it was their fault. This line of thinking normalizes the crime of rape, and enables the perpetrators to continue their behavior and prey on more victims.

In this pulse, we are one with those who are bravely making a stand and speaking up for those who were robbed of their voices. We also implore everyone to find ways to be informed, to be involved and to do something to report and prevent rape – a form of violence.

CAMELEON Association Inc. is a non-government organization founded in 1997 that provides healing and recovery interventions for young girls who are survivors of sexual abuse in Western Visayas. It also runs advocacy campaigns to educate and inform the public about child sexual abuse, how to prevent it and how to report the crime. Together with Child Rights Network (CRN) and other partners, CAMELEON also lobbies in the local and national legislative committees for laws and policies on child protection and child’s rights. The association also provides educational and livelihood support to disadvantaged children and their families. By doing this, CAMELEON contributes to creating well-educated and self-sustaining communities where children can thrive safely and be free from abuse of any kind.