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Jokowi wants immediate passing of sexual violence bill
As sexual abuse cases continue to make headlines, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has made a public appeal to the House of Representatives to pass the sexual violence bill after nearly a decade languishing.
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Power of women: Activists from various women’s organizations unfurl a banner during a rally in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Dec. 10, 2021 to commemorate International Human Rights Day and demand the passage of the sexual violence eradication bill. (Antara/Basri Marzuki)
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s sexual assault cases continue to make headlines, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has made a public appeal to the House of Representatives to pass the sexual violence bill after it has languished for nearly a decade.
The bill, which originally aimed to provide a distinct legal framework that acknowledges sexual violence as criminal conduct punishable by law and providing protection and recovery for the victims, secured endorsement of the House Legislative Body (Baleg) on Dec. 8, 2021. But the House leadership failed to reach an agreement to table the bill at the last plenary session in late December, citing “technicality issues” and “a matter of timing”.
"The protection of the victims of sexual violence should be our common concern, especially concerning sexual violence against women, which should be urgently addressed," the President said in a live-streamed statement on Tuesday.
Jokowi said he had assigned Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Puspayoga to get in communication with the House to discuss measures needed to speed up the lawmaking process to pass the bill.
“Thus, the joint deliberation process will be faster and will discuss the main points or substance of the bill, which is to provide legal certainty and guarantee protection for victims of sexual violence,” he said.
Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, deputy for politics, law and human rights at the Executive Office of the President, said the urgency of the bill no longer needed to be debated and all stakeholders must put aside their egos.
"The President's particular notice of the sexual violence bill is not without reason. Seeing that the current situation regarding sexual violence in Indonesia needs to be dealt with urgently, the bill must become an adequate legal umbrella for providing protection for the victims,” she said on Wednesday.
