Proposal to Move Women's Carriages to the Middle of KRL Trains Draws Criticism and Debate

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The proposal by the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Arifah Fauzi to move women’s special carriages to the middle area has caused controversy in society. The proposal has been criticised and deemed unethical. Fajar Afryandi (34 years old), a graphic designer at a private company in South Jakarta, considers the Minister of PPPA’s proposal regarding the relocation of women’s special carriages to be completely unfounded. The man from Tangerang, who regularly uses the KRL for commuting, emphasised that male passengers also deserve comfort and safety. “So the main point isn’t just about moving the carriage position, but about how to create a KRL transport system that is safe and comfortable for all passengers, both men and women,” said Fajar when contacted by Republika on Wednesday (29/4/2026). According to Fajar, the proposal to relocate the carriage could potentially become a form of gender discrimination. Because he believes that the proposal seems to perpetuate toxic norms that men must be stronger, more resilient to pain, and not weak, whereas in terms of safety, everyone should be treated equally. “Does the proposal to move the women’s carriage to the middle area mean that she is normalising that men must be stronger, must be able to endure more pain and so on? If that’s the intention, this is gender-based discrimination,” he said. Fajar stated that the government’s main focus should be to conduct a thorough evaluation, starting from why there are no official crossing gates so taxis can break through railway crossings to signalling issues. According to him, that evaluation is more important than dwelling on the idea of moving carriages. “What needs to be fixed is the system, find out where the root problem is. I think what’s more crucial is ensuring that collisions never happen again. That’s what needs to be thought about. Let’s check yesterday’s incident, why was that taxi able to boldly pass and stall on the railway tracks? Instead of throwing out wild ideas,” said Fajar.