Discrimination against women<\/p>\n
Given the persistent complaints that Indonesia is lagging
\nbehind other countries in the world in terms of protecting the
\nrights of its women, the observance today, March 8, of the United
\nNations Day for Women's Rights should serve as a serious reminder
\nof the huge task that lies ahead for the nation in this
\nparticular sphere of our social and political life.<\/p>\n
It is therefore regrettable to have to note that such little
\neffort is being made, by the government and the national
\nlegislature in particular, to overcome the shortcomings that
\nexist.<\/p>\n
Advocates of women's rights, for example, have long been
\ncampaigning for the adoption of a law that could at least provide
\na legal basis for action to be taken in cases of violence and
\ninjustice against women -- which are far from unusual in
\nIndonesia's traditional, paternalistic society.<\/p>\n
True, spurred on by the popular movement for democratic reform
\nthat was set in motion by the fall of the autocratic New Order
\nregime in 1998, the House of Representatives, with the assistance
\nof women's rights activists and experts, has for months been
\nworking on drafting just such a law. The debates in the national
\nlegislature on the draft of that law, which is known as the law
\non domestic violence (RUU A-KDRT), are now completed and the
\nratified bill has been forwarded to the government to be signed
\ninto law by the President.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this last step, which would represent such a
\nbig stride towards providing a legal basis for the protection of
\nwomen's basic rights in the country, has been delayed for
\nunexplained reasons. Advocates of women's rights, both inside and
\noutside the national legislature, have been urging the President
\nto endorse the bill as soon as possible, even before the
\nlegislative elections on April 5.<\/p>\n
As things are, however, with campaigning for the election
\nscheduled to begin in a matter of days and the legislative
\nelections less than a month away, it looks as if even that modest
\nplea is not going to be answered.<\/p>\n
Indisputably, though, there is a real need for the enactment
\nof such a law at the earliest possible opportunity. The point is
\nthat violence against women, domestic or otherwise, seems to be
\non the rise. Jakarta police statistics, for example, show that
\nwhile in 2001 \"only\" a few dozens of cases of violence were
\ncommitted against women in the city and \"only\" 37 were cases of
\ndomestic violence, in 2002 the figure rose to 70 cases, of which
\n39 were cases of domestic violence. And up to August of last year
\n84 cases of violence, 49 of them domestic, were recorded.<\/p>\n
It could of course be, as some observers have alleged, that
\nthis apparent increase in cases of violence against women is
\nmerely a result of the victims gaining greater courage to report
\nsuch acts. On the other hand, the observations by women's and
\nhuman rights activists and groups that the recorded figures
\nrepresent no more than the tip of the proverbial iceberg need to
\nbe taken seriously.<\/p>\n
Over the past year alone, for example, the Justice for
\nIndonesian Women's Legal Aid Institute (LBH-APIK) recorded 280
\ncases of violence against women, 70 of which were cases of
\nphysical abuse, 124 of psychological abuse, 85 of economic abuse
\nand one of sexual abuse. Overall, the organization recorded 627
\ncases, 279 of which were reported in person by the victims.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas
\nPerempuan), for its part, reported a total of 5,934 cases of
\nviolence against women committed in 2003, about 46 percent of
\nwhich were cases of domestic violence or violence within the
\nfamily, which can range from physical abuse to rape or
\npsychological abuse. It should be noted also that the figure
\nrepresents an increase over the previous two years -- 3,169 cases
\nin 2001 and 5,163 in 2002.<\/p>\n
Just as more women appear to be willing to report cases of
\nviolence committed against them to the authorities, many more
\nstill seem to be reluctant to do so. The reasons are easily
\nexplained: Despite the changes that have taken place in society
\nand the progress that has been made in education, for many women
\nthe shame they feel in airing what they perceive as their \"dirty
\nlinen\" in public remains powerful enough to prevent them from
\nreporting cases of abuse against them to the authorities. Also,
\nthere are cases where women, particularly poor women, are
\nterrified to go to a police station as there is a good chance
\nthey might be abused by the police themselves.<\/p>\n
To add to the problem, the issue of domestic violence is only
\none aspect of the vast and complex fabric of injustices that
\nwomen (and children) must bear in a traditional, paternalistic
\nsociety such as Indonesia. It should, however, be noted that
\nIndonesia has ratified the United Nations Convention on the
\nElimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.<\/p>\n
For that reason alone, the government and the national
\nlegislature should stop prevaricating and get rid at the earliest
\npossible opportunity of all laws and regulations that
\ndiscriminate against women -- or, for that matter, against any of
\nIndonesia's sons and daughters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/discrimination-against-women-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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