DUBAI // A large majority of Gulf-based Filipinas who responded to a recent poll said they were routinely sexually harassed, according to a new documentary that aims to shed light on the issue.
The Filipina on Top, a 30-minute production by the filmmaker Kamil Roxas, was sponsored by the publishers of Illustrado, a Filipino lifestyle magazine in Dubai. It will be screened at its fourth Women of Substance event in Dubai on Friday
After shooting the film in locations around Dubai at the end of February, Illustrado this month carried out an informal poll of 100 women, aged 20 to 50, via the phone and Facebook, who live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait.
The findings showed 75 of the 100 Filipinas polled had experienced some form of sexual harassment.
"The most shocking revelation was that sexual harassment was more widespread than what we had actually expected," said Lalaine Chu-Benitez, the magazine's publisher and editor-in-chief. "The ultimate message of the film is for Filipinas to take charge in all aspects of their lives.
"Sometimes it makes one think, are Filipinas the only ones experiencing this? Is it because people think we are timid? Does it happen to other nationalities?"
According to a recent survey on harassment for Al Aan TV's Nabd Al Arab (Arabs' Pulse) show - carried out by YouGov Siraj - two-thirds of 156 female respondents of various nationalities said they were subjected to some form of harassment in the UAE.
The incidents occurred in places such as a shopping malls, supermarkets and on the street. One-third of the women said they experienced incidents at work and one-quarter felt the degree of harassment in the UAE was increasing.
"People need to be careful and should be mindful about how they present themselves," said Dana Shadid, the media manager at Al Aan TV and a producer of Nabd al Arab. "If you feel uncomfortable, get out. But if you're subjected to it, report it. You should never be quiet."
In the documentary, Filipinas are encouraged to be aware of rules and cultural norms.
"Smiling is a very common thing for us," said Chu-Benitez. "We smile all the time, even when we are in an uncomfortable situation. We smile even at strangers, not knowing that a smile could be misinterpreted in other cultures as a sexual come-on, or misconstrued as being accessible and ready for anything."
Representatives from Migrante, a Filipino migrant rights group, are also featured in the documentary, urging women to fight back, report incidents to police and seek assistance from their group and from the Philippine authorities.
The Filipina on Top is a sequel to The Empowered Filipina, a documentary Illustrado produced last year that told the inspirational stories of 13 Emirates-based Filipinas.
Chu-Benitez said it was a difficult decision for them to tackle a more controversial and sensitive subject in the new documentary.
"It is a hard lesson to teach," she said. "But we hope the Filipina emerges triumphant, hence the title The Filipina on Top."
Although many of the women were hesitant to tell their stories, when Chu-Benitez volunteered her experiences it spurred the women to talk about their own stories.
Chu-Benitez, a resident of the Emirates for the past 20 years, recalled an incident when a man grabbed her from behind as she was about to cross a busy street in Deira.
"I was in my corporate clothes," she said. "He sped off so I didn't see him, so I didn't have a chance to react."
She recounted another time, shortly after her arrival in Dubai, when her ex-boss tried to force himself on her.
"I thought being friendly was normal," she said. "I just froze and my tears were streaming down my face."
The women who responded to the Illustrado survey described being stalked, grabbed from behind, groped by a group of youngsters and propositioned.
rruiz@thenational.ae
This version corrects the spelling of the Al Aan TV.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
BLACKBERRY
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Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
