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Activists welcome ‘breakthrough’ sexual violence law
Lawmakers passed the bill in a plenary meeting on Tuesday after deliberations were fast-tracked in late March, which marked a culmination for activists after years of campaigning for the passage of the bill.
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Female voice: Women’s rights activists stage a protest in front of the House of Representatives compound in Jakarta, on Tuesday, to express their support for the sexual violence eradication bill, which has not been deliberated since 2016 while cases of sexual violence continue to mount. The activists will stage similar actions on coming Tuesdays. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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ctivists have welcomed the passing of a landmark sexual violence bill, saying that the legislation would provide a much-needed regulatory framework in the country’s fight against sexual violence.
Lawmakers passed the bill in a plenary meeting on Tuesday after deliberations were fast-tracked in late March, which marked a culmination for activists after years of campaigning for the passage of the bill.
National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) commissioner Andy Yentriyani said she appreciated the lawmakers’ decision, adding that Indonesia could finally have strong legislation that protected the victims of sexual violence.
“Finally, we [now] have a strong legal basis that could provide a breakthrough in handling [sexual violence cases],” Andy said on Tuesday.
Andy said the onus was now on the authorities to ensure that the newly passed law would be properly implemented, as she projected that the country might see an increase in reported cases of sexual violence after the bill came into force.
“We still have to ensure that the bill will be properly implemented. One of the things that must be anticipated is a surge in reported cases [of sexual violence] because victims may feel empowered [to report their abuse] after the law is in force,” said Andy, adding that public oversight would be instrumental in ensuring that the law was properly implemented.
In a statement, Komnas Perempuan, which first formulated the bill in 2014, separately said the commission continued to monitor the process to issue a derivative regulation from the newly passed law. The commission also recommended that the House and the government ensure that some definitions of sexual violence that were previously excluded from the law be included in other regulations.
