Violence Prevention Must Be Consistent to Save the Nation's Future

The surge in cases of violence against women is a serious alarm and a threat to the nation’s future. Concrete and massive steps must be taken consistently. ‘Violence against women is not merely a domestic issue, but a violation of life values that must be addressed immediately,’ said Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI, Lestari Moerdijat, in a written statement on Friday (17/7). The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) revealed that DKI Jakarta and West Java were the regions with the highest number of complaints of violence against women up to mid-2026. Data as of 30 June 2026 showed DKI Jakarta recorded 561 cases, followed by West Java with 457 cases. Throughout 2026, Komnas Perempuan received a total of 1,833 complaints, averaging 10 complaints per day. Meanwhile, based on a gender-based violence analysis, 520 cases were recorded in the personal domain, including violence against wives and dating violence. In the public domain, there were 320 cases involving violence in public spaces, 232 cases in the cyber realm, 31 cases in the workplace, 31 cases in residential settings, and 29 other cases. According to Lestari, these records must be responded to by the relevant parties promptly and with appropriate measures. Rerie, as Lestari is affectionately known, urged the strengthening of a comprehensive women’s protection system with the support of all stakeholders at the central and regional levels. According to Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Indonesia does not lack regulations to protect its citizens, but the main challenge is the consistency of implementing these regulations on the ground. A number of priority steps, stressed the senior member of the NasDem Party, such as increasing the capacity of officers in handling violence cases with a victim-centred perspective, cross-sector collaboration, and access to complaint services and legal protection that are easily accessible to victims, must be realised immediately. ‘The emergency situation of violence against women and children must be responded to immediately with concrete and massive steps, as part of efforts to carry out the constitutional mandate that requires protection for every citizen,’ concluded Rerie.