Filipino-Canadian media personality breaks silence in community on sexual assault

A Toronto-based Filipino-Canadian media personality is speaking publicly about her personal story of alleged sexual assault to encourage other women in her community to raise their voice in the #MeToo movement.

Rachelle Cruz said women in the Filipino community are often hesitant to speak out against sexual assault and violence, and that needs to change.

"A lot of it is rooted in the patriarchal society — the conventions, the traditional model is that you just don't speak out about it," said Cruz.

"You don't talk about sex with your parents, you don't talk about sexual assault ... Those things are still very real."

Cruz said the alleged incident happened in April 2017. She said she waited until recently to speak out because the matter was still going through the courts. Her alleged attacker was issued a peace bond in April 2018. 

Rachelle Cruz wrote an opinion piece in the Philippine Reporter detailing the incident, which she claims happened at a Toronto hotel. Her alleged attacker is a member of the Filipino community with whom she had set up a business meeting.

Cruz says as a journalist in her community she felt a responsibilty to speak up.  

"How can I as a person, who tells people's stories, not be able to share my own?" said Cruz, who is a freelance host and producer.

Cruz said she received some negative reaction to her post questioning the truth of the story. But it was the messages she received from women in the Filipino community — who had gone through similar experiences — that prompted her to take action.

"I received many positive messages, feedback and private messages saying, 'It happened to me, I wish I said something,'" said Cruz.

Cruz then teamed up with other women's groups to start a campaign. She launched #FilipinasSpeakout to start the conversation in her community.

"It's not as if we don't have resources or counselors or social workers that would help out — that's not the issue," said Cruz.

"The issue is people don't want to talk about it."

Talking about what people don't want to talk about

Women in Toronto's Filipino community said they are encouraged by Cruz's post, but added — she is far from alone in her experience.

"On one hand my personal reaction was like: 'Oh my god, this shouldn't have happened. This shouldn't be happening.' But at the same time it's not surprising," said Mithi Esguerra, of the group Gabriela Ontario, which advocates for women's rights in the Fillipino community.

"We know gender-based violence is so prevalent in our community because of the prevalent macho culture."

Esguerra said there are a variety of reasons why women are hesitant to speak up and much of it, she said, is rooted in the role of men in the Filipino culture.

"If a woman or a child claims that they have been subjected to sexual assault or sexual abuse, they tend not to be taken seriously right away. And then there's the stigma if they report," said Esguerra.

"There's so much shame on the part of the victim ... rather than the perpetrator being questioned."

Silence from caregivers

The cultural attitudes, coupled with precarious work, prompt some Filipino live-in caregivers and nannies to stay silent about abuse or sexual abuse they might experience, according to some in the community.

"Number one is: it's a cultural thing that you are a woman, so you don't have much power. Number two is that again, the employment, I don't want to speak out because I need employment," said Judith Gonzales with Fil-core — a support group for Filipino caregivers and nannies in the GTA.

"I think it's the shame too."

For caregivers and nannies who are temporary workers, Gonzales said they often need to work a certain number of hours to get permanent residency status. And speaking out against abusive behaviour puts that in jeopardy. 

The hope with the #FilipinasSpeakOut campaign is to let women know they're not alone, and to feel comfortable sharing their stories.

"I want to challenge the old-school mentality and beliefs of the older aunties and uncles in the community," said Cruz.

"I think my community has a dark history and I think we have to start talking about it."