Rita fights against hidden crime

T.Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta
tabita@cbn.net.id

A young woman tried to commit suicide by drinking insecticide. She forced her two children to swallow the agent because her husband was going to marry another woman. The youngest child, who was still a baby, died. But she and her eldest child survived.

The desperate woman was tried at North Jakarta District Court and later sent to prison.

In Bekasi, a woman took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her husband who had frequently assaulted her. The man died and the woman surrendered herself to the police. She was declared guilty by the court and was also put behind bars.

These were two of many cases handled by lawyer Rita Serena Kolibonso during her decade with the Jakarta Institute of Legal Aid (LBH), from 1986 to 1996.

From such cases, she observed there was a hidden crime that was not thoroughly addressed by the court -- domestic violence.

Many women suffered from assault, inflicted upon them by their husbands physically and/or mentally. But the issue was given little attention, since the common perception is that domestic violence is a private matter.

In 1995, along with several women activists, Rita set up the Foundation for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Mitra Perempuan (literally women's friend) crisis center. The foundation and the center were established following the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, which underlined violence against women as a critical issues, and a national workshop here on the issue, which proposed the development of a crisis center for women.

After the May 1998 riots, the issue was taken up by the media, with reports that dozens of women had been gang-raped.

"The case became the momentum to reveal the rampant violence against women in Aceh, as well as sexual harassment, domestic violence and the many rape cases that happened then and now," Rita, executive director of Mitra Perempuan, said last weekend before speaking at an event to observe the 75th Women's Day on Dec. 20.

"We are now struggling for the issuance of the law on violence against women, which includes domestic violence," she said.

A draft of the law had been drawn up in 1998 and the House of Representatives had agreed to deliberate it. But, although a letter asking President Megawati Soekarnoputri to appoint institutions to discuss the draft had been sent to her in May of this year, Rita said, the President was yet to respond.

Born in Jakarta on Dec. 27, 1961, Rita graduated from the University of Indonesia's School of Law.

"Actually, I also wanted to become a pilot. After I graduated from high school in 1981, I read in a newspaper that the Air Force needed people to fly their airplanes. But when I went to their headquarters, I was told they didn't accept women," Rita said.

She then enrolled in law school because, "I was curious about what it would be like to become a notary public like one of my neighbors, or a judge".

Her concern for the marginalized -- especially women -- deepened when she worked at LBH, which provides free legal aid for the poor.

"I learned about the realities of society, about poverty, and the problems of the poor, who find it hard to get access to justice. I also learned about the chaotic legal system," she said.

She recalled that she had often been scolded by court clerks, because she refused to "supplement" their official fee.

She had encountered corrupt judges, police and prosecutors who had asked for money, and also many bad lawyers who bribed law enforcers. It was persistence that got her through, otherwise, she said she would never have been served.

Rita, who got her masters degree in international law and commercial law at the Sheffield University in England in 1997, was also the deputy director of the National Commission of Violence against Women from 1998 until earlier this year.

Along with other activists, Rita is developing a radio program to promote the rights of women, including in the family. Every Thursday morning from 9 to 10 a.m. Mitra Perempuan is broadcast by Radio Bahana Metropolitan on (frequency) 101.95 FM. Once a week, Radio Pelita Kasih on 96.35 FM broadcasts a similar program.

The women's crisis center, located in South Jakarta, now has two branches, in Bogor and in Tangerang. Besides providing private counseling, it runs programs educating workers in several factories in Tangerang on sexual harassment and domestic violence.

This year, up until last week, the crisis center handled more than 272 complaints of domestic violence.

"It can happen to anyone, not only people from low-income families, but from all walks of life," Rita said, adding that Mitra Perempuan also received reports of domestic violence involving expatriates and refugees.

Reproductive health is Rita's other main concern. Indonesia has the highest maternal mortality rate in Southeast Asia, with a ratio of 396 deaths per 100,000 births.

"Half of the deaths are caused by unsafe abortions," Rita said.

Abortion is illegal here, unless it is done to save the mother and/or the child, as stipulated by Law No. 23/1992.

"The law should be revised. The government has the right to protect women and to prevent deaths from unsafe abortions," Rita said.

"It's not about pro-life or pro-choice. I believe in the quality of life. A healthy person should be mentally, socially and economically healthy," she said.

Rita, who remains single, used to take public buses when she was still with LBH. After so many years of hard work, she can afford a car but prefers to take a taxi.

"It's more practical. I can be more relaxed and I don't have to think about where to park the vehicle. Besides, I don't want to contribute to traffic jams," said Rita, who likes watching movies and loves Robert de Niro, Harrison Ford, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.