Feminists sound alarm on evil of domestic violence

JAKARTA (JP): Feminists have called on women to be on the alert for domestic violence against them in the light of the continued crisis next year. Among cases of violence reported to the crisis center Mitra Perempuan this year, most were perpetrated by the victims' husbands.

Mitra Perempuan told a year ender press conference here on Monday that it has received reports of 104 new cases of abuse towards women in Greater Jakarta this year, 97 of which were considered to be domestic violence which varied from sexual to verbal abuse.

But the higher figure of abuse cases reported could also reflect more willingness to report, executive director Rita Serena Kolibonso said.

The number of abuse cases had increased compared to last year. But while last year most victims were housewives, this year victims comprised 39.7 percent housewives and 35.7 percent private employees.

The data excluded the report of massive sexual abuse in the mid-May riots. "We did not mention it because such data has been provided by the Volunteer Team for Humanity," Rita said.

The team had reported that 168 women were sexually abused in riots that rocked Greater Jakarta, Medan, Palembang, Solo and Surabaya between May and July. The government has confirmed findings of its Joint Fact-finding team, that 76 women were violated in the Jakarta riots.

Of the new cases received this year, Rita said most victims were married women (70.4 percent).

Victims of violence also came from various religious, social, economic, educational, age, racial and ethnic backgrounds, she added.

The violence took the form of physical, verbal, and psychological pressures, domestic quarrels and rapes. Indonesian law does not recognize rape by husbands. In many cases there was a combination of at least two or three types of violence, Rita said.

Rita said further that such abuse was mostly perpetrated by people close to the victim -- husbands, brothers, boyfriends or former spouses for various reasons including economic or psychological pressure.

Rita said economic difficulties "give a husband justification to pick on or hit his wife."

Mitra Perempuan, set up in 1995 by the Foundation for Elimination of Violence Against Women, also recorded that only 15.3 percent of victims went to report the abuse to the police.

"Most of the victims (67.3 percent) went to various crisis centers which they thought were more trustworthy," she said.

Mitra Perempuan, among the country's first crisis centers for women, called for a better judicial system to protect women against violence.

"If the police, for instance, maintain their current approach which demands physical evidence in handling violence against women, more and more women victims will decline to report," Rita said.

Criminologist Purnianti, chairwoman of the group's board of patrons, said that the lack of education and training within the family has been among reasons that women are prone to become victims of violence.

The lack of education also led women to become actors of violence. Purnianti cited "the use of physical force by mothers in enforcing 'discipline' among their children."

"This is a terrible thing to do as their children will pass on the violent trait to the next generation, at least to their social environment," Purnianti said.

In a bid to create a better understanding and education of women rights, she said, the organization was working with the Ministry of Women's Affairs to hold a meeting on a national action plan on violence towards women.

"We are planning to establish more crisis centers in several provinces to help troubled women," she said.

I. Sandyawan Sumardi, director of the Jakarta Social Institute (ISJ), said in a year-end statement that human rights abuses were still rampant across the country. Sandyawan was active in the Volunteer Team for Humanity and became a member of the Joint Fact-finding team gathering facts on the May riots.

He cited several human rights abuses this year such as the abduction of pro-democracy activists between January and April and the shooting of students such as in Solo and Jakarta in May.

The institute urged a national reconciliation involving Abdurrahman Wahid, Amien Rais, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.

"The government has three months to show concrete action. Otherwise, there will be strong reasons for the people to conclude that the government does not have true political and moral will to solve this prolonged crisis," he added. (edt)