Press Release of 2009 Yearly Report of Komnas Perempuan

Not Only at Home: Women’s Experiences of Violence in Unequal Power Relationships

The data released by Komnas Perempuan reports the increasing number of violence against women in Indonesia. In 2009, the data shows that the number has improved triple to 143.585 cases from 54.425 cases in 2008. The growing number of reported cases could not be separated from the fact that access to Religious Courts is now widely opened as an implementation of the Head of MA’s Decree Number 144/KMA/SK/VIII/2007 on Open Information within Court. Furthermore, the increasing number was also related to various factors such as wide media coverage on violence against women that have encouraged women experiencing violence to speak about and report the cases.

Domestic sphere was the locust in where violence against women has happened the most which has reached 95% of 136.849 cases. The data was mainly compiled from Provincial Religious Court (64%) and District Religious Court (30%) besides the data from a number of service providers established by community. The major number (96%) of domestic violence was violence against wives. Meanwhile, sexual and psychological violence were two major forms of violence which show 48%. Women in the age of 13-18 were the major women’s group experiencing violence.

Unequal power relation between women and men was the main factor of violence which was remains both in domestic and community spheres. It is noted that 6.683 cases of violence were located in community area which included sexual abuses, children’s sexual exploitation, violence in workplaces, violence against migrant workers and trafficking. The State’s lack of political will in providing substantial protection for Indonesian migrant workers, including ratifying the 1990 The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. This situation has greatly contributed to increasing the number of violence in professional relation.

54 cases of violence were perpetuated by the State. Among the most popular cases was the death of Lilis Lindawati, a victim of false arrest under the implementation of the Local Law on Prostitution in Tangerang City. Lindawati is dead after suffering from a serious sickness and poverty resulting from experiencing the depressing case. Komnas Perempuan has concluded that the Local Law of Prostitution by Tangerang City Government was among regulations that have brought a serious problem of criminalization against women. However, even though the review of such discriminatory laws was included in the campaign lists of President SBY and was listed in his first 100 presidential programs, none of the laws are repealed. On the other hand, Komnas Perempuan has found 13 local laws and 11 drafts of local law which bring discrimination against women in 2009. Moreover, the Government of Indonesia has not shown a strong political will in providing protection for poor women involved in a legal process and for women’s rights defenders as a civil constitutional right guaranteed by the 1945 State’s Constitution, article 28C (2).

Nevertheless, despite the backwardness, in 2009 Komnas Perempuan has found important State’s initiatives, including the amendment of Health Act which introduces women’s reproductive rights, the Rule of the National Police Department Number 8/2009 on the Application of Human Rights Standards in Police Department and Memorandum of Understanding on Protection of Witness and Victim signed by 5 government institutions. Based on the data compiled by service institutions, it is found that the number of government institutions, specifically Religious Court and State Court, using the Act on the Elimination of Domestic Violence in handling cases of violence has significantly increased.

Note:

The data was compiled from data base of 300 organizations nationwide from Aceh to Papua including women’s crisis centers and other service providers established by community, Provincial and District Religious Court, State Attorney, P2TP2A, UPPA in police offices, integrated crisis centers in hospitals, and Provincial and District State Court.