Komnas Perempuan calls for end to militarisation in Papua amid high risk of violence against women

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has called for an end to security-based approaches and militarisation practices in Papua, which it says continue to heighten the vulnerability of women and children to violence, including sexual violence. “Komnas Perempuan urges the cessation of the security approach and militarisation practices in Papua that keep increasing the vulnerability of women and children to violence, including sexual violence, and asks the state to prioritise the protection of civilians, victim recovery, and the fulfilment of the basic rights of conflict-affected communities,” said Komnas Perempuan member Yuni Asriyanti in Jakarta on Friday. The statement was made in response to the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, observed on 19 June. Based on Komnas Perempuan’s complaint data from 2021 to 2025, 75 cases of violence against women from Papua were recorded. Of these, 30 cases, or 40 per cent, involved state apparatus or public officials. Meanwhile, the availability of services remains limited in Papua, leaving victims of violence, including sexual violence, facing serious obstacles in accessing support, protection, and recovery. “This fact shows that the issue in Papua is not only the violence itself, but also the high risk of impunity and the weak infrastructure for victim protection in conflict-affected areas,” Yuni Asriyanti said. Komnas Perempuan member Sondang Friskha added that the situation in Papua, marked by an excessive presence of armed personnel and prolonged displacement, risks triggering horizontal conflict among civilians and weakening victims’ access to protection and justice. “In such a situation, women face layered vulnerabilities, ranging from the risk of harassment and sexual violence in areas with a high presence of armed personnel, the vulnerability of displaced women to exploitation and violence, to an increase in domestic violence exacerbated by the pressures of conflict,” Sondang said.