On 2-4 March 2017, Rifka Annisa Women Crisis Center held a workshop on school-based system for prevention and response to violence against women and children in Pesonna Hotel, Yogyakarta. The participants of this workshop are 15 school principals from several high schools in the district of Gunung Kidul, among others SMK Sanjaya Gunungkidul, SMK Pembangunan Karangmojo, SMK N Saptosari, SMK N 2 Purwosari, SMK N 3 Purwosari, SMK N 2 Gedangsari, SMK N 1 Wonosari, SMK N 1 Nglipar, SMK N 1 Ngawen, SMK N 1 Girisubo, SMK N 1 Gedangsari, SMK Muhammadiyah Semin, SMK Muhammadiyah Karangmojo and SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Wonosari. This three-day activity aims to understand the cause of violence against women and children, adolescent psychological dynamics and psychological character of women/children victims of violence in order to obatin a common understanding between schools related to prevention and response to violence in schools. This workshop was held based on cases evaluation handled by Rifka Annisa, where each year an average of 300 cases occured mostly in Yogyakarta. Type of cases handled by Rifka Annisa including violence against wives (domestic violence), rape, sexual harassment, violence in dating, violence within family and trafficking. In 2016, in the district of Gunung Kidul there were 29 cases, 10 of them were sexual violence. Based on available data, the ones who are more vulnerable experiencing sexual violence are shcool-age children. Rifka Annisa consider the importance of school-based system for prevention and response to violence. It also in accordance with the regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 82 In 2015, on the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Schools. Under this conditions, each of elements in schools needs to be strengthened. All components  in schools such as students, teachers, staffs and principals have their respective roles in controlling school activities in order to avoid violence and sexual assault.

The school principal has an important role in policy making on prevention and response to violence. Therefore, it is expected that workshop on ”School-based system for prevention and response to violence against women and children“ could raise awareness, initiatives and efforts of each school to establish prevention of violence against women and children in school. In the last session of the workshop, the school principals highly appreciated the workshop held by Rifka Annisa. Dra. Siti Fadilah, M.Pd, the school principal of SMK Negeri Saptosari expressed her satisfaction with the material presented in the workshop. She was also amazed by the facilitators who are young, but can convey the material well. Another appreciation also addressed by H.Ruslan S.Pd,MM,Pd from SMK Pariwisata Purwosari, who expected that Rifka Annisa would sustain the coordination with school principals in this workshop.

In the last session of the workshop, the participants learned about counseling and mentoring, followed by discussion of follow-up plan and workshop evaluation. Some principals were questioned about the sustainability of prevention and response program to violence and sexual abuse in their schools. One of the principals, Drs. H. Rachmad Basuki, S.H, M.T from SMK N 2 Wonosari said  he will soon set a date to conduct coordination with the teachers. It shows that this workshop was very effective in raising awareness of the  prinicipals about the importance of prevention and response to violence and sexual abuse in schools. After attending this workshop, one of the principals, Sr. M. Eligia Kristiani, AK. S.Pd from SMK Sanjaya Gunungkidul advised the young generation to use social media productively in order to avoid negative impacts.

Translated by: Lutviah