House of Representatives Urges Protection of Women from Gender-Based Digital Violence
Rio A.J. Dondokambey, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP), has called for the strengthening of protections for women on digital platforms. According to Rio, female politicians, particularly those active in politics, face significantly heavier challenges than their male counterparts. Debates that should focus on ideas, policies, and political performance frequently devolve into gender-based attacks.
These attacks target not only the political views of women but also their physical appearance, private lives, morality, family roles, and gender identity. Rio assessed that this situation is further exacerbated by the spread of disinformation, intimidation, and harassment via social media. Such attacks can effectively prevent women from participating actively in public life.
“This is not merely a communication issue; it is a matter of democracy. When online harassment silences female leaders or hinders them from entering public life, democracy loses voices, perspectives, and representation,” Rio stated in a press release on Tuesday.
The PDI Perjuangan faction politician believes that social media can amplify discriminatory narratives if not used and managed responsibly. Instead of serving as a space for the exchange of ideas, digital platforms are often utilised to attack the personal attributes of women. Consequently, the substance regarding capacity, policy, and political performance is sidelined from public debate.
Therefore, Rio is pushing for a stronger international commitment to ensure that technology companies and digital platform managers are held accountable for the content circulating within their services. Global platform providers, he noted, must not allow social media to become a vehicle for the spread of harassment, disinformation, and various harmful contents that threaten the political participation of women.
“Indonesia is currently exploring a stronger approach towards platform accountability, the creation of a safer digital ecosystem, and greater transparency,” he explained.
In addition to strengthening regulation and platform accountability, Rio emphasised the need to build digital resilience within society. These efforts can be achieved through increased digital literacy, education regarding online communication ethics, and strengthening public awareness of the risks of misinformation and disinformation. Rio maintained that protecting female politicians should not be understood as an attempt to limit criticism or freedom of speech, but rather to ensure that political debate remains healthy and free from intimidation and gender-based discrimination.