NGOs, activists slam sexist ad

NGOs, activists slam sexist ad

JAKARTA (JP): A public service advertisement on crimes against women published in a magazine has drawn strong criticism from women activists and various non-governmental organizations.

The two-page ad, which appeared in the last issue of the Forum Keadilan magazine depicts the thighs of a woman in a tight mini skirt, with a text between the thighs reading "How can sexual crime rates get lower, if your skirts rise higher?"

Lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana led the outcry in a statement denouncing the advertisement and demanded it be withdrawn.

The protesters also demanded that the Indonesian Association of Advertising Companies uphold and supervise the implementation of their code of ethics.

A statement sent to The Jakarta Post said the advertisement reduces the complexity of sexual crimes. "What about the facts which show that victims ...consist of children to grandmothers?"

"The advertisement has (turned) victims of sexual crimes into defendants," it said.

The advertisement was ran by Forum Keadilan in cooperation with the Adwork Euro RSCG Ball Partnership agency. Bisnis Indonesia daily has also published the advertisement.

Chief editor of Forum Keadilan, Karni Ilyas, said he had received a copy of the protest, along with other letters objecting to the advertisement.

He told the Post he had questioned the wisdom of the advertisement himself when it was proposed and felt that it was not fit for publication. "I also don't feel it is women themselves who cause the crimes against them," Karni said.

"As you know the editorial department is generally not involved in deciding what ads to accept," he said. "But I said that from now on the (marketing) department should consult editors if they are in doubt."

In response to whether the advertisement was deliberately provocative, Karni said he did not see it like that. "It's not a commercial, it has nothing to sell," he said. (anr)