THREE lawmakers filed a measure that seeks to impose stiffer penalties for gender-based sexual harassment in education or training institutions as well as in the workplace.

House Bill 7376, filed by Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, aims to amend Republic Act 11313 or The Safe Spaces Act.

The lawmakers said that despite the law’s passage, cases of sexual harassment and abuse have been on the rise.

In 2020, Plan International conducted a survey and in-depth interviews of over 14,000 girls aged 15 to 24 in 31 countries, including the Philippines.

The report showed that girls who use social media in high and low-income countries are subjected to different forms of online harassment, such as threats of sexual violence, sexual harassment, threats of physical violence, Anti-LGBTQIA+ comments, racist comments, body-shaming, purposeful embarrassment, stalking and abusive and insulting language.

In the Philippines, 68 percent of young women have experienced online harassment.

The lawmakers stressed that the growing trend of sexual harassment perpetrated against young women online and in public spaces is alarming.

“While an existing law penalizes various forms of sexual harassment, it is clearly not enough. There is a need to review the Safe Spaces Act and ensure that stiffer penalties may be imposed on perpetrators and institutions who fail to act on the reported cases of sexual harassment,” the lawmakers said.