Yogyakarta - Public Health students who joined in the Australian Consortium for "In-Country" Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) visited Rifka Annisa on Friday (14/7). Wulan, as representative from ACICIS said the visit aims to learn about Rifka Annisa`s efforts to address violence against women and children and the challenges.
The discussion between Rifka Annisa and ACICIS took place at 02.00 p.m in the Rifka Annisa Hall. The discussion was guided by Defirentia One as the Manager of Public Relations and Media Division and Nurul Kurniati as the counselors in Assistance Division. The discussion was attended by 40 students who are the members of ACICIS and also the internship students of Rifka Annisa.
The discussion began with the explanation of Rifka Annisa in general by Defirentia One. It focused on profiles, vision-missions, divisions and Rifka Annisa`s programs.
“We (Rifka Annisa) believe that violence against women occurs because it is influenced by other factors. So it’s not only because of one factor but multilevel factors,” she said about the ecological framework used by Rifka Annisa. Based on the framework, the factors that influence consist of individual factors, family/personal relationships, community, and national and global structures.
For the handling of violence against women and children, Rifka Annisa also undertakes ways in accordance with the framework through psychological counseling, legal counseling, medical care, and providing a safe house (shelter). Even psychological counseling is not only for women but also for men because it will be more effective that handling the case involves both parties.
In addition, One also presented cases data of violence against women and children that has been handled Rifka Annisa from 2011-2016. It included the types of Domestic Violence (KDRT), Rape, Sexual Violence, etc.
Based on the data, the most common case is Domestic Violence (KDRT). Meanwhile, Jessie, one of the participants, said that in Australia alone the most frequent case is sexual violence. One explained that the causes of domestic violence include the inability of emotional management, economic problems, and gender inequality.
Nurul Kurniati explained to the participant who asked about the prevention of domestic before getting marriage. “When a couple is getting married, it needs a commitment. The commitment prevents the occurrence of domestic violence.”
She revealed that the matchmaking case is not legally regulated in Indonesia. It is only regulated in common law. For the marriage itself, there is a law that regulates it.
Answering the question about children`s education program from Ali, the participant of the discussion, One revealed that Rifka Annisa also has Rifka Goes to School and Rifka Goes to Campus as one of the efforts to prevent violence. (Ana Widiawati)
Author: Soeliah Hellwig, Universiteit Van Amsterdam
Both in Indonesia and the Netherlands prostitution is regarded as a public issue. However, both countries manage it in very different ways. In this article I will compare both policies with each other so that the countries can learn some things from one another.
Common views regarding sex worker are that those involved in prostitution should only be there if they were free to choose that option and people must not be forced into prostitution through anything like poverty, fear or coercion. However, abolishing prostitution is not an effective option because prostitution is an inevitable part of society. It has existed for as long as there has been civilization so by making it illegal, it will not go away, merely move to clandestine spaces. The only way to make sure that prostitution does not get out of hand is by regulating it and making sure that nobody doing it involuntarily.
Both Indonesia and the Netherlands use human trafficking as the main reason for the need to change prostitution. An argument often made for the abolishment of prostitution in the Netherlands is that there are women in prostitution who did not choose to be there and were forced as a victim of human trafficking. Another argument is that prostitution is degrading towards women. The problematic aspect of this argument is that it victimizes all prostitutes and frames women as helpless creatures who are subjected to the will of men. This does not correspond well with one of the principles of feminism that is highly esteemed in the Netherlands and assumes that women are equal to men in every manner.
Clearly, entering prostitution is not always a choice; some people accept it as a way of earning a living or as a means to survive. In Indonesia prostitution is illegal by law. This is very different from the Dutch situation, where prostitutes were never criminalized. Instead, they are being victimized because the general assumption is that no woman would ever voluntarily become a prostitute.
Prostitutes were never criminalized under Dutch law and one cannot regulate what is forbidden by the law, so in 1999 the ban on brothels was lifted in order to regulate prostitution. Before prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands, policy was similar to what it currently is in Indonesia. Authorities turned a blind eye to what was going on as long as public order was not threatened. Most of the goals of the Indonesian government policy on prostitution are related to public order. Prostitution policy in Indonesia is based on the attempt to show the humiliation and degradation prostitutes are subjected to. This is called the ‘politics of disgust’. However, this politics of disgust make it very hard for former prostitutes to find a new job. Protecting individual rights is given little consideration in Indonesian policy-making on prostitution.
Women are accused of contributing to their own fate by choosing ‘quick, easy money’ in prostitution rather than considering other means of making a living. The Indonesian Social Affairs Agency refers to those engaging in prostitution as suffering from a social disability. By doing this, they are actually the ones degrading prostitutes instead of prostitution itself being the degrading factor.
There is a lack of inclusion of organisations that are concerned with the welfare of prostitutes in the development of policy and decision making in both the Netherlands and Indonesia. In Indonesia, prostitution policy reveals a lack of awareness with respect to the societal and cultural influence underlying different aspects of prostitution. The expression of liberal views by some Indonesian politicians conflicts with a broader community standard. In the Netherlands, policy making is based upon the assumption that every policy is made to the prostitute’s best interest. However, this is often not the case. Prostitutes become increasingly restricted by the policies made. This gives them less choices in the jobs they take on and in turn makes them easy victims of clients with bad intentions.
In the new discourse that came up around the legalization of prostitution, prostitution was viewed as a sexual service or sex work, a profession a woman can enter out of free will. The traditional discourse framed prostitution as a moral and social evil, prostitutes as victims, and those profiting from her as unscrupulous middlemen. This discourse is also still very evident in Indonesia.
Monitoring and regulation were no guarantee that women do not work under threat of coercion. The position of prostitutes has not improved, and many prostitutes have moved to ‘invisible types’ of prostitution. The state, by its slack implementation of the act and lack of attention to social rights in the proposed bill, is responsible for creating the bad working conditions, intimidation and blackmail itself. Not granting work permits to all sex workers leaves them open to blackmail and coercion into poor working conditions and bad pay. In this way, policy actually creates the bad working conditions. Moreover, the emphasis on trafficking and vulnerable young victims has the effect of shifting the attention away from these conditions and the lack of prostitutes’ social rights.
In Indonesia, prostitution is illegal. Because it is illegal, the local government tries to ban it. However, because of the ban, the government is unable to regulate it properly. The best way to stop human trafficking within prostitution, is to legalize it and regulate it. The Netherlands tried to do this when they legalized prostitution in 1999. However, because policy was not correctly implemented and prostitutes and organizations for prostitutes’ rights were not included in the making of the policy, most prostitutes were negatively affected by the legalization. The bottom line is that both countries have failed to achieve what they were aiming for and so far have not been able to improve the rights and lives of prostitutes. []
* The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Rifka Annisa.
Responding to the many alleged cases of sexual violence that occurred in the department of education, especially higher education in Yogyakarta, it takes great effort to deal with such cases.
Victims or people who know of the existence of sexual violence should not be silent with such knowledge. The willingness and courage to provide information would be very helpful in the process of handling cases of sexual violence that promotes the interests, protection and justice for the victims and the prevention of the recurrence of similar cases. Rifka Annisa offers space for complaints over cases of sexual violence occurring in education, especially higher education environment with the following conditions:
Complaints can be made via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ANNISA and hotline Rifka Annisa in 085100431298 and 085799057765, or come directly to the office of Rifka Annisa Jl. Jambon IV Komplek Jatimulyo Indah, Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta.
FADK (Kepek Village Children's Forum) is an organization that consists of children aged below 18 years. The establishment of the forum aims to fulfil the rights of the child participants and the elimination of violence against children. Kids are the actors in the development process. During this growing issue in Kepek Village, District Saptosari, Gunung Kidul Regency, children are viewed as objects to be directed and continuously trained in order to discipline or regulate.
In the discussion session, accompanied by Rifka Annisa on Sunday May 8, 2016, members of FAD Kepek realized that it was the children that have the ability to organize themselves and participate in finding the solutions to problems in the region of FAD Kepek. FAD Kepek also organized socialization on the dangers of child sexual assaults. In this socialization Herman and Meike facilitated sessions. Herman, FAD Kepek chairman, opened the forum by introducing his organization. This was the first event held by FAD Kepek, it was held in the village hall. From planning, timing and place, the spread of the invitation, even as the facilitator of the event, all of them individually prepared themselves.
Meike led the brainstorming and discussion with 20 participants about sexual abuse in children. He invited participants to better understand the issues related to children. Starting from the definition of the child, the right to be possessed by them, then continued to discuss problems of violence and the potential for children to become perpetrators or victims of violence. When the discussion sessions related to the sexual abuse of children, Meike divided the participants into groups. In the discussion session, the participants were asked to discuss other forms of sexual violence, causes, effects of sexual violence, who could potentially become perpetrators, and sexual violence prevention strategies.
After the discussion finished, participants were asked to present the results of their discussion. Participants understand that sexual violence is diverse, for example, shown in pornographic images, forced sexual relations, undesired touching of one’s body, rape, sexually exploitation, and so forth. In addition participants also explained that the cause of sexual violence is the notion that a young child, would not dare to report and do not know how to report such cases. Then the participants tried to explain that pornography and alcohol can also lead to acts of sexual violence.
In the next session participants are invited to discuss the issue of Child Marriage, which is one form of sexual abuse in children. They recognize that marriage under the age of 18 can lead to school dropouts, poverty, domestic violence, negative impacts on the next generation, cervical cancer and so forth. Child Marriages are often also vieweda solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancies.
Participants understand that sexual assault victims will experience trauma, stress, contracted sexually transmitted diseases, HIV / AIDS, pregnant, and others. Anyone can become perpetrators of sexual violence, even the closest people such as a father, grandfather, uncle, neighbour, friend, girlfriend, teacher, as well as a stranger.
FAD Kepek has a role in disseminating the issues of violence against women and children. More recognized that dressing appropriately, covering sensitive parts of one’s body such as sexual and reproductive organs, is one of the solutions presented by participants, in order to avoid sexual violence. It is also important to appreciate and respect others not to hurt him. All elements of society must realize that every person has the right to live with a sense of security and to avoid violence.
Translated by: Emma Hardy
