Domestic violence up: Activists<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas
\nPerempuan) said on Saturday that the victimization of women was
\non the rise in recent years.<\/p>\n
Komnas Perempuan's deputy chairwoman Myra Diarsi said her
\ncommission had recorded over 6,000 cases of violence nationwide
\nin 2003, up from some 5,000 in the previous year.<\/p>\n
Myra said an estimated 46 percent of the cases were
\ncategorized as domestic violence.<\/p>\n
\"The number of domestic violence cases involving women was
\nbased on police records, as well as data from hospitals and
\nwomen's crisis centers across the country,\" Myra said in a
\ndiscussion held by Komnas Perempuan and sponsored by the Body
\nShop Indonesia.<\/p>\n
She said Komnas Perempuan would seek more support from the
\npublic from all walks of life to pressure President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri to ratify the bill on domestic violence.<\/p>\n
Myra said the support was needed from society in the middle
\nand upper class levels as domestic violence was also experienced
\nby them.<\/p>\n
\"It should be the concern of all of us. Public pressure is
\nmore important as we don't have much financial support to run
\ncampaigns that support the passage of the bill,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Suzy Hutomo, head of the Body Shop here, said it would support
\nthe campaign on violence against women, especially, as almost all
\nof its customers came from the higher socio-economic levels.<\/p>\n
\"We will use our chain across the country to support the
\ncampaign. We also support the domestic violence bill,\" Suzy said
\nin the discussion.<\/p>\n
She said Komnas Perempuan, in cooperation with her company,
\nHer World women's magazine and Female radio station, would
\nconduct fund-raising event called the Sunday Fund Run in the
\nSemanggi area, Central Jakarta, next week.<\/p>\n
Besides jogging from the Semanggi area to the Hotel Indonesia
\ntraffic circle, Suzy said the activity would raise funds for
\nvictims of violence.<\/p>\n
\"We also want to collect signatures to support a petition for
\nthe endorsement of the domestic violence bill,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, hundreds of women staged \"A Thousand Umbrella
\nPeace Protest\" in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta,
\nto demand Megawati to ratify the bill on domestic violence, which
\nthey have been fighting for since 1997.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/domestic-violence-up-activists-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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