Rising Sexual Harassment Cases: Campuses Deemed to Have Failed in Providing a Safe Educational Space

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of the Golkar Party Faction in the DPR, M Sarmuji, has voiced concern as well as anger over the proliferation of sexual harassment and violence cases in higher education environments that have resurfaced throughout April 2024.

According to him, the alleged sexual harassment cases at Universitas Indonesia (UI) to Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) indicate that campuses can no longer be considered safe and comfortable spaces for students.

“This is no longer just one or two rogue individuals. This is a loud alarm that campuses have failed in their basic function as safe educational spaces. If cases continue to recur in various higher education institutions, it means there is something systematically wrong, and campus leaders are unable to create an atmosphere that protects students,” Sarmuji stated in a press release on Monday (20/4/2024).

This disparity, he said, if not seriously intervened in, will continue to perpetuate sexual violence practices in the academic environment.

“Students are in a vulnerable position. When protection is absent from the institution, the campus becomes a frightening place rather than a place of learning,” he added.

Furthermore, Sarmuji emphasised that such incidents are not new.

In recent years, the public has also been shocked by various sexual violence cases at several renowned campuses in Indonesia.

“We must no longer normalise such occurrences. Every case is an institutional failure,” Sarmuji asserted firmly.

Further, Sarmuji stated that sexual violence cases on campuses must also be understood as a phenomenon much larger than what appears on the surface.

“What is revealed to the public today is merely the tip of the iceberg, which seems to be only a portion of the actual reality,” he said.

He also called for stricter policies, including the possibility of imposing sanctions on the highest leaders of higher education institutions if proven to have failed in creating a safe campus environment.

Meanwhile, Sarmuji urged the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendikti Saintek) not only to stop at regulations but to ensure that implementation and supervision are effectively carried out across all higher education institutions.