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House set to endorse sexual violence bill, paving way for talks with govt
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Reject violence: Activists stage a rally in front of the House of Representatives compound in Central Jakarta on Tuesday demanding the deliberation and passing of the sexual violence bill. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has reported that violence against women increased by 75 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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awmakers are expected to approve the sexual violence bill as a House of Representatives initiative in its plenary session on Tuesday, paving the way for the long-awaited bill to be deliberated with the government and putting it one step closer to being passed into law.
The bill previously secured endorsement from the House Legislative Body (Baleg) on Dec. 8, 2021. But the House leadership had failed to reach an agreement to bring the bill to the last plenary session in late December, citing “technical issues” and “a matter of timing.”
House Speaker Puan Maharani said last week that the House was set to approve the sexual violence bill as its initiative in Tuesday’s plenary session. The bill is among 40 bills listed in the 2022 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), whose deliberation are set to be prioritized this year.
Read also: House drags feet on sexual violence bill
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Diah Pitaloka emphasized that the lawmakers’ endorsement did not automatically mean that the bill would be passed into law, adding that it would mark the start of the deliberation process with the government.
The House, she said, would notify President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo about the status of the bill as a House initiative following Tuesday’s plenary session. Jokowi will then assign a Cabinet member to deliberate the bill with the House.
“The President will send a letter and inventory list of problems [to the House]. The President will also appoint a relevant ministry that will deliberate the bill with the House,” said Diah in a statement on Monday.
