Bima Arya Urges Regional Governments to Strengthen Systems for Handling Violence Against Women and Children
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto has affirmed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) supports strengthening the system for handling violence against women and children in the regions through system integration. According to him, strengthening the system is necessary so that case handling does not depend on personal initiatives but can run in an integrated and sustainable manner. This is important considering that the issue of violence against children, women, and sexual violence has become a primary concern for regional governments.
“If we look at what is different about the system initiated by the Deputy Minister [for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection], there is a kind of compelling system force, not just initiatives, but there are cases [of violence] that systematically must be prioritised or resolved,” Bima explained in his statement on Monday (10/8/2026).
This was conveyed during a Coordination Meeting on the Implementation of the Pilot Programme for Integrated Services for Women and Children at the Ministry of Law (Kemenkum) in Jakarta on Monday (10/8).
In line with these efforts, regional governments have been carrying out the mandate of Law Number 12 of 2022 concerning Sexual Violence Crimes, one of which is by encouraging the establishment of Regional Technical Implementation Units for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) in all provinces, regencies, and cities across Indonesia.
However, in its implementation, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed, particularly in ensuring that the handling system can operate effectively and sustainably. Therefore, strengthening the system in the regions is not enough merely through institutional establishment but must also be supported by adequate resources and financing.
In this context, Bima emphasised the Ministry of Home Affairs’ support for strengthening an integrated handling system in the regions. This support is provided through guidance and supervision, including ensuring the budgeting aspects and the legal foundations that serve as the basis for programme implementation in the regions.
“It is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ role to supervise, guide, and ensure whether the budget has been allocated or not,” he continued.
Furthermore, Bima stated that if the system is to be replicated in other regions, a more in-depth study is required, taking into account the needs of each region. According to him, regulatory aspects and regional financing capacity must be an important part of determining the readiness for programme replication.
“But the most fundamental issue today is the availability of budget from the Regional Budget (APBD) in the regions. So, the extent to which we want to replicate this in the regions based on a clear legal foundation must be studied more deeply, depending on the specific needs of each region,” he concluded.