'Better education cure for violence'

'Better education cure for violence'

Violence, in whatever form, is an enemy of humanity, especially
when it occurs in private life, within the family. However, such
violence is still widespread in the community, with women and
children as the victims. In observance of International Women's
Day, which falls on March 8, The Jakarta Post talked to some
residents about the issue.

Heri Purnomo, 29, is a journalist with a travel magazine on
Jl. Panjang, West Jakarta. He lives at Cempaka Baru, Central
Jakarta:

Slapping someone in the face and beating them commonly occur
in domestic arguments. Many people think that the use of violence
to deliver the message is natural in our paternalistic society.

In Chicago, where I stayed for some time, the law protects
family members from such violent behavior.

I believe one of the keys to eradicating domestic violence
lies in better education. The more people are exposed to higher
education the more strongly they reject violence.

I observe that most women who have had higher education are
courageous enough to report beatings by their husband to the
police or at least ask for a divorce, although the number remains
small.

Ine Ghazali, 30, works at a foreign bank on Jl. Imam Bonjol,
Central Jakarta. She lives with her husband in Kebayoran Lama,
South Jakarta:

We can easily see cases of domestic violence here, but of
course, they are not reported in the media. Many people are still
reluctant to make public that they have been subjected to
violence.

The problem is that there is no legal certainty on the issue.
The Criminal Code fails to detail what kind of legal protection
there should be for victims of violence.

Besides, in our culture, it is taboo to divulge family
problems to the public. This situation prevents victims from
seeking protection and justice.

--The Jakarta Post