CEDAW/C/SR.33 English ~ge 6 (Mr. Moreno Salcedo, Philippines) 13. Philippine society was based on a balance between custom and law. In trying to over-protect women, it was possible that the equilibrium which existed in relationships between men and women might be destroyed. Filipinos wanted women to remain as they had been in the past; they did not want them to lose their f~mininity and wanted to protect them. They wanted women to approach them with charm, not polemics; they wanted their dealings with women to be infused with a spirit of complementarity. To date, Philippine women had been sufficiently intelligent to understand the situation. Their best weapon was the way in which they dealt with Philippine men. For that reason, there was no women's liberation movement in the Philippines. There was no need for a women's liberation movement because, if they became involved in that type of confrontation, women would never obtain from men what they had been able to obtain from them in the past. 14. It was a very common practice in the Philippines for men to hand over their salary to their wives. Women could spend all the money, but they did not do so because they were responsible individuals who watched over the family, and, in Philippine society, love of family took precedence over love of material things. Furthermore, if they did so, they would be criticized by society. A man gave his entire salary to his wife because in that way he was delegating to her the responsibility for its administration, and that gave him time to attend to other matters. 15. With regard to the question as to why the penalty for the crime of rape, especially of women under 12 years of age, was so severe, one must refer once again to Philippine tradition. In traditional society, the most important concepts were honour and the family. Honour was demonstrated by respect for women and women's bodies. A man could be mutilated or killed, and that crime would be punished, but such an event would not stir Filipinos to the core. On the other hand, it a woman's body was violated, her sensitivity was offended and the transgression therefore became an unpardonable crime. <Ale might slap a man, but not a woman. Honour was personified in womankind. If a woman was dishonoured, the offence was doubly reprehensible, doubly repugnant and doubly punishable. A crime committed against the body of the woman was not only a crime against that woman, but also against honour and the family. The rape of a minor was even worse, and thus the appropriate penalty was death. Filipinos believed in the death penalty. If a woman was over 12 years of age, the penalty was lighter. However, if the rape was carried out under the threat of a weapon, that constituted an aggravating circumstance. 16. As to the question of why women did not occupy high-level posts, no law prohibited women from occupying such positions, but they knew that they would gain more if they were invisible. Women did not wish to be prominent because prominence would make them lose their femininity. In addition, there was currently one university for women only. As to whether there was equal pay for equal work, it was very difficult to ensure compliance with that provision. Nevertheless, if a woman succeeded in proving that that standard was infringed, she would receive compensation. / ...