Komnas Perempuan (National Commission on Violence Against Women) has revealed a damning statistic on sexual violence in the country, in a bid to pressure legislators to pass a bill that would afford greater protection towards women in Indonesia.
Komnas Perempuan Chairwoman Andy Yentriyani yesterday sat down for a discussion with House of Parliament (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani, during which the former said far too many Indonesian women become victims of sexual violence far too often.
“Up to 2019, the data Komnas Perempuan has collected show that at least three women become victims of sexual violence every two hours in Indonesia,” Andy said.
“Those are just from reported cases, and we know that so many women don’t report their cases.”
Andy noted that from the reported rape cases, only around 30 percent are processed by the police due to limitations in Indonesian law on what acts constitute sexual violence.
Women’s rights activists have long pushed for the passing of the Eradication of Sexual Violence Bill (RUU-PKS), which had been in parliamentary limbo for years amid opposition from conservative parties who wrongly argued that the bill would promote promiscuity and liberal sex values.
Last year, the bill was revised as the Sexual Crimes Bill (RUU TPKS), which only has four categories of sexual violence over its predecessor’s nine. Among the notable emissions are forced pregnancies, forced abortions, and forced prostitution.
At any rate, Puan said DPR is going to include RUU TPKS into its list of priority bills for deliberation and ratification this year.
