http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/massacre-victims-were-sexually-mutilated/Liz O'Donnell
New reports out of the Philippines reveal that most, if not all, of the women killed in a brutal massacre earlier this week were also sexually mutilated and possibly raped. A convoy of mostly women and journalists was ambushed and murdered on their way to file candidacy papers for governor on behalf of Ismael Mangudadatu. Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan township, had received death threats so in his place he sent a convoy including female members of his family to submit the papers, assuming they would be safe from harm. According to reports, 57 people were killed in the attacks, 27 were journalists and 22 were women. They bodies were left in a hastily dug roadside grave.
The bloody attack has been blamed on Mangudadatu's political rival, Andal Ampatuan Jr,. a town mayor. The Ampatuan family has a dangerous reputation and is said to be politically allied with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Arroyo has called for pursuit of the killers and Ampatuan has turned himself in, although he is professing his innocence. Eyewitnesses put him at the crime scene. After burying his wife and other family members who were killed in the attack, Mangudadatu filed his gubernatorial papers on Friday. The election is scheduled for May 2010.
Both officials and witnesses are telling reporters that the women who were killed were found with their pants unbuttoned and pulled down and their "private" parts shot off. Tests had not yet been done to determine if the women were raped but officials suspect that to be the case.
While the killings are believed to be politically motivated, the graphic assaults on the women also betray deep-seated, deadly misogynistic attitudes. Rape has long been a weapon of war and violent attacks on women are common staples of terrorist attacks too. Earlier this month, a car bomb was detonated in a Pakistani market frequented by women and children. More than 100 people were killed. The attack happened after the local shopkeepers association was warned to disallow women from shopping in the market. And last year, during a terrorist attack in Mumbai, women victims were sexually mutilated.
Violence against women is a major human rights issue worldwide. According to Amnesty International, at least one out of every three women has been a victim of violence in her lifetime. But the magnitude of these attacks are often buried by the media and framed as political attacks. The women are viewed as mere collateral damage. Interest in women's rights often spikes when organizations like the United Nations issue reports on the status of women but the topic rarely stays in the headlines for very long.
Help keep pressure on world leaders to provide basic rights to women by supporting the work of organizations such as Amnesty International. Click here to make a difference.
Topic: Massacre Victims Were Sexually Mutilated (Read 648 times)