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Activists warn of steady increase in violence against women
The 2019 annual report of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) launched recently revealed that 406,178 cases of violence against women were reported throughout the year, up 14 percent from 348,466 cases reported in the previous year.
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Activists and members of the public protest in front of the House of Representatives complex in Central Jakarta on Sept. 17 to demand that lawmakers pass a long-awaited bill on ending sexual violence against women. (JP/Anggie Angela)
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wenty-five years after Indonesia adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA) agendas on women’s empowerment, sexual violence has remained rampant in the country, with data showing a steady increase in reported cases.
The 2019 annual report of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) launched recently revealed that 406,178 cases of violence against women were reported throughout the year, up 14 percent from 348,466 cases reported in the previous year.
Among the reported cases in 2019, 71 percent was domestic violence with 9,637 cases, while another 28 percent was public harassment, such as rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and the remaining 1 percent came in other forms of violence, including those committed by state officials.
The report also showed 192 cases of marital rape in 2019, up from 175 cases in 2018.
Unlike in previous reports, the commission recorded cases of incest and cyber-attacks against women this year. The 2019 report showed that 1,017 cases of incest were reported, 425 of which involved biological fathers.
Furthermore, it also recorded 97 cases of cyber violence against women, including 41 cases of revenge porn typically committed by a former sexual partner. The remaining 56 cases involved drug trafficking and online prostitution.
Komnas Perempuan, however, noted that the 14 percent increase in violence against women did not merely indicate an increase in sexual violence cases in Indonesia. Instead, it showed people’s increasing awareness to speak out against such incidents.
