TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Sexual violence eradication bill still faces resistance within House
Several lawmakers still argue that the sexual violence eradication bill contradicts Indonesia's religious and cultural values.
Change Size
An activist arranges women’s shoes at the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Nov. 25, 2020. The Shoes in Silence campaign, marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, urged lawmakers to pass the sexual violence eradication bill. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
W
hile rights activists have pinned their hopes on the passing of the sexual violence eradication bill (RUU PKS) into law this year, its deliberation has been met with resistance from members of the House of Representatives.
Some lawmakers have voiced their objection against the bill, even when it has yet to be formally included in this year’s National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority list, arguing that the bill contradicted Indonesia’s religious and cultural values.
During a meeting with activists on Feb. 2, several members of the House Legislation Body (Baleg) claimed the RUU PKS would “spread a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement in Indonesia”.
“In fact, the concept of consent in Western countries has been extended into homosexual relationships. This is dangerous,” Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker Al Muzzammil Yusuf said during the hearing.
Between 2014 and 2019, Al Muzzammil was a member of House Commission VIII overseeing social affairs. He was known as a vocal critic of the bill, arguing that it might violate religious norms as it promoted sexual consent, which he said would lead to the proliferation of casual sex.
Read also: More victims report sexual abuse on campus, but few find justice
Democratic Party lawmaker Santoso further argued during the hearing that gender equality in Indonesia was no longer an issue as many prevailing regulations already supported women’s rights. He cited the General Elections Law, which mandates that 30 percent of their candidates for national and regional legislative bodies be women.
