Kingfisher

// Aniela Vea Aceron | Verity

Get ready with me as I blend away scars and bruises that society refuses to see.

Emotional abuse, unlike physical violence, leaves no mark on the skin, yet it imprints itself deeply; shaping self-esteem, confidence, and interpersonal relationships in ways that take years to heal, leaving scars far more enduring than any visible wound.

At a very young age, I have seen my grandmother who grew up with an abusive father, carry the marks of the past in the way she acts—sometimes painfully invalidating my struggles as a woman.

Despite having Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (Anti-VAWC) Act of 2004 to protect women and children from all forms of abuse, many in older generations and in society still dismiss emotional abuse as ‘not real’ fostering an invisible suffering that leaves victims unprotected.

This reflects how society fails to acknowledge silent assaults, threats, insults, and controlling words, gradually eroding a woman’s sense of self and allowing emotional abuse to persist as if it causes no real harm.

Nearly one in three women globally has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner at least once in her lifetime, and one girl being killed every ten minutes at the hands of a family member, showing the urgent need for stronger societal action against gender-based violence.

As someone who values family relationships, it is deeply alarming that abuse continues within households, where private spheres remain vulnerable to violence and cultures of systemic failures allow harm to persist.

The lack of awareness and normalization of controlling behaviors often prevent some women from recognizing their spouse or partner subjecting them to abuse, with traditional gender roles adding to the problem, placing men in positions of authority and reinforcing these harmful patterns.

Challenging harmful norms and advocating for stronger protection for women seems promising, yet a future where women can live free from violence may only be possible when families, and communities support survivors, instead of forcing them to hide the pain.

No scars deserve to be merely concealed, but healed and protected to prevent new ones from forming.

// layout by Alizza Mabulay

#YouthPoints #KFStandstoEndVAW