The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as Gender Ombud is deeply alarmed and concerned that t-shirts portraying women in hypersexualized positions are openly marketed in different online platforms in the country. A report by Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau, a feminist non-government organisation, has alerted the CHR that the company called KNPP is openly selling hypersexualized t-shirts on Facebook, Lazada, and Shopee. The t-shirts depict women in lewd and hypersexualized positions, normalize the sexual objectification of women, and are clearly sexist and misogynistic.
The posts and engagements on Facebook and other shopping outlets also reveal that the target market of the shirts are men and that many reports for obscenity were already made against the Facebook page to no avail. The open posting, display, and sale of these shirts and other products of KNPP are blatant disregard of laws protecting women from discrimination, violence, and all forms of sexual harassment.
Despite provisions of the Magna Carta of Women on non-derogatory portrayal of women and the provisions of the Safe Spaces Act penalizing sexism and misogyny, businesses like KNPP are still able to openly operate and earn from the sexual objectification of women. It is thus with urgency that CHR calls on Facebook, Lazada, and Shopee to immediately take down posts and accounts of KNPP.
We call on businesses and social media platforms to be our partners in protecting women’s human rights and not allow their platforms to be sites of violence and sexual harassment. We also call on the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to trace and identify the account holders, and for the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate the registration of these businesses and the possible violations they may have committed.
Lastly, as Gender Ombud, we call on the public to continue to be vigilant and be the Commission’s partners in calling out and holding into account sexist, misogynistic remarks, and acts. Let work together to make all spaces safe and empowering. ###