Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (Republic Act No. 7877)
Definition
The Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, Republic Act No. 7877, was the Philippines’ first law penalizing sexual harassment, defining it as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature committed in work- and education-related environments where the conduct imposes conditions on employment, grades, or honors, or creates an intimidating or offensive atmosphere.
Identities (Wikipedia/Wikidata/DBpedia)
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Also Known As
RA 7877; Sexual Harassment Act of 1995.
Examples and Analogies
A supervisor who conditions a promotion on accepting dinner dates, or a professor who implies grades depend on personal favors, commits sexual harassment under the law. The statute treats authority as a power relationship, similar to how bribery laws treat a public official soliciting payment for duty.
Usage Scenarios
Employers and school heads must promulgate rules against sexual harassment, install committees on decorum and discipline to investigate complaints, and act on findings within set periods. Victims may file administrative, civil, or criminal complaints, and the law covers employers who ignore their duty to prevent harassment.
Strategies
Organizations use the mandated committees, awareness seminars, and grievance procedures to surface complaints early and document cases properly. HR departments train managers on boundaries and evidence handling, while unions and student councils support complainants through proceedings.
Security and Safety Measures
Confidentiality of proceedings, protection from retaliation, and the committee-on-decorum structure serve as safeguards. The law’s framework was later reinforced by the Safe Spaces Act of 2019, which extended coverage to streets, public spaces, and online conduct.
Historical Context
RA 7877 was enacted in 1995 after decades of advocacy by women’s groups, filling a gap in the Revised Penal Code, which addressed crimes against chastity but not power-based harassment in modern workplaces and campuses. Landmark complaints in the 1990s tested its reach, including high-profile cases in government and academia.
Challenges and Controversies
Enforcement is hampered by under-reporting, fear of retaliation, and the difficulty of proving quid pro quo conduct. Critics note the 1995 law’s limitation to superior-subordinate situations, a gap partly addressed by the Safe Spaces Act’s coverage of peer and public-space harassment.
Related Topic
Safe Spaces Act