When poet Karen Kunawicz shared a photo from the boys section of the SM Mall Department Store on Facebook earlier this week she sparked widespread outrage among Filipino netizens.

Kunawicz asked: ‘Really SM Department Store? In the boy’s section?’ The T-shirt had the following statement printed on it: ‘It’s not rape, it’s a snuggle with a struggle.’

The next day, SM Malls, the Philippines’ largest shopping mall chain owned by the country’s richest man, was compelled to issue a public apology and promised to withdraw the shirt from their stocks.

The controversial shirt led women’s rights activists to hold a picket at an SM mall branch. Meanwhile, the Gabriela Women’s Party is set to file a congressional resolution on the issue.

Kunawicz’s Facebook post has gathered over 1,800 likes and was shared more than 4,700 times. Several posts on Twitter expressed indignation against the ‘pro-rape’ shirt.

Bench “Naked Truth” Fashion Show

Meanwhile, a major apparel brand was also forced to issue a public apology in the wake of a fashion show that also caused a public scandal.

Netizens condemned retail brand Bench for trampling on the dignity of women during ‘The Naked Truth Denim and Underwear Fashion Show’.

Read more: globalvoicesonline.org – Written by Karlo Mikhail Mongaya