'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