Perhaps it’s no wonder that many people have asked me: “Why are the female characters in your novel Dari Dalam Kubur so angry?” Indeed, the two main characters of my recent novel do express their rage, although at different degrees, but the question for me should be: “Why don’t more women express anger if severe injustice against them has not been acknowledged?”

In Indonesia, rape against women seems to be more accepted than women’s rage. Violence after violence against women have happened. In 1965, the sexual abuse and rape of women alleged to be communists were widespread. After that, more sexual abuse and rape of women followed, such as in Aceh, Timor Leste, Papua, Surakarta in Central Java and Jakarta in May 1998. 

These horrific incidents have not been officially admitted by the government, yet the efforts of preventing sexual violence have faced many hurdles. Since 2012, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) initiated the sexual violence eradication bill.

Only in June 2016, the bill was included in the Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). However, since then, attempts to pass the bill have been stalled. In July 2020, the bill was even removed from the Prolegnas and rescheduled for discussion in 2021.

Several women’s organizations and activists have been advocating tirelessly for the bill in order to address the continuing sexual violence targeting women. Yet there has been no promising response from the government, and women are still expected to be patient and wait.

To forgive and forget is the “mantra” in Indonesia. Survivors’ discourse is full of forgiveness, and while I really appreciate women who can forgive, many women who claim that they have forgiven often hide their rage and anger deep inside. Why is it so difficult for female victims of human rights abuses to admit that they are still angry?

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