Month: December 2022

The sexual violence prevention bill must include clauses regarding sexual violence that occurs within the institution of marriage, a political expert from the University of Pelita Harapan has said.

“In my opinion, the bill must also include clauses regarding sexual violence inside the marriage institution, hence, the bill will not only regulate sexual violence that occurs outside marriage,” political expert Emrus Sihombing told ANTARA in Jakarta on Friday.

The expert said that the possibility of sexual violence perpetrated by a spouse in a marriage, including marital rape and sexual abuse, remains high.

He expressed the hope that the sexual violence prevention bill will regulate and define the types of sexual violence that can occur in the public and private domains.

“I hope the sexual violence prevention bill will not only regulate sexual violence cases outside marriage, but also present a breakthrough in the bill by defining sexual violence inside the marriage institution,” the political expert said.

Sexual violence is one major issue that the government must promptly address because many sexual violence perpetrators have exploited their unequal power relations to press and compel their victims, Sihombing said.

“We must prevent sexual violence from recurring in the future,” he asserted.

The government must reiterate its commitment to protecting the human rights of residents by supporting the bill, and the sexual violence prevention bill must also clarify that besides women, men are equally vulnerable to fall victim to sexual violence, Sihombing said.

He urged lawmakers to consider the prevailing ethics and moral values in the society while deliberating the bill because sexual violence is not only a violation of human rights but also a violation of ethics and moral values in society.

“We must protect ourselves from sexual violence crime and the intent to commit the crime,” the political expert said.

Source: Antara News

Tourist attractions will need special attention and handling to anticipate a surge in mobility and ensure the tightening of health protocols has been carried out properly, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.

“As the East Java Police chief says, we will limit the capacity of our recreational areas. We will implement strict health protocols and secure recreational areas and at the Suramadu Bridge as well,” Sumadi stated while chairing a coordination meeting with district and city police stations across East Java on Friday.

He also appealed to people traveling during the Christmas and New Year holidays to remain vigilant and implement strict health protocols.

“We must remain aware of the new COVID-19 variant called Omicron,” he said.

The minister also asked the police and the East Java regional government to prepare for peak mobility, which is expected to occur on January 1–2 and January 8-9, 2022.

“I laud the work of East Java Regional Police for conducting intensive surveillance and anticipation. Let us work together with 39 resort police chiefs throughout East Java to tighten health protocols, especially during the year-end holiday, as directed by President Joko Widodo,” Sumadi emphasized.

As of Friday, from the results of monitoring at eight terminals in East Java, there has been an increase in the average daily movement of people, with departing passengers up 5.8 percent compared to normal days from 4,700 to 5,100, while arriving passengers have increased 14 percent from 3,200 to 53,400.

The coordination meeting on Friday was also attended by the Mayor of Madiun, H. Maidi; East Java Police chief, Inspector General Nico Afinta; director-general of land transportation, Budi Setiyadi; director of the Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas), Brigadier General Yusri Yunus; head of the Indonesia Toll Road Authority (BPJT) of Public Works and Public Housing, Danang Parikesit; and representatives from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Ministry of Health, and regional police offices across East Java.

Source: Antara News

The year 2021 was replete with reports of violence against women and children, with the direst aspect being the perpetrators were predominantly the victims’ families, closest people, or those whom they knew.

One such infamous case was that involving the rapes of 12 students in an Islamic boarding school in Bandung, West Java. HW, the perpetrator, who was also the owner and teacher of the school, used coercion to conduct his heinous acts. Some of the rape victims had gotten pregnant.

HW committed such acts over the course of five years, from 2016 to 2021, at several places that include two of the Islamic boarding schools he managed, hotels, and apartments.

Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women pointed to a significant increase in the frequency of reported violent acts during the year.

Head of Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Andy Yentriyani, noted that as many as 1,967 cases were reported to them during the period from January to June 2021, an increase by 57 percent from the corresponding period last year.

Nonetheless, the increase reported was not directly proportional to the ability of special institutions to cater to the needs of women, who were the victims in these cases.

Another notorious case was that of NWR from Mojokerto, East Java. She once reported to the Committee in mid-August of 2021. However, the matter had yet to be handled due to limited human resources and a pile-up of other cases.

Eventually, she ended her own life on December 2, 2021. Her body was found by her father’s grave.

Yentriyani deemed NWR’s case as a major eye-opener and cause for concern, thereby signaling the lack of service for women, who were victims of violence.

Amp up Monitoring

Women’s Empowerment and Children Protection Minister, Bintang Puspayoga, called on regional governments to facilitate comprehensive handling of cases of violence against women and children.

“Monitoring and evaluation are important. How much have related stakeholders overseen (things)? Do not be like firefighters (who only came to resolve matters when incidents have already occurred). In such cases, we must take care of it from the start (nipping matters in the bud and the root causes). Hence, prevention has become important,” she opined.

The minister urged regional leaders to not look away from cases of violence against women and children. Hence, she lauded regional governments that had overseen the cases until their completion.

SAPA 19 service

The ministry launched a service — Women and Children’s Friends Platform (SAPA 129) — on March 8, 2021, to provide access to women, who endured violence, and children in need of special protection.

The service can be accessed through phone number 129. Alternatively, people can send a short message to 08111129129.

The platform aims to fix the reporting system as well as to create an integrated service for handling reports of violence.

“One-stop services should be established for handling violence in an immediate, integrated, and comprehensive manner in addition to employing law enforcement processes and providing social rehabilitation and social reintegration services,” Deputy for the Protection of Women’s Rights at the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Ratna Susianawati, remarked.

SAPA 129 is also expected to be a service that aids efforts to address issues of women, who fell victims to violence, and require interregional and international coordination.

Pending Anti Sexual Violence Bill

A proper law is deemed necessary to function as a foundation or basis to take action against perpetrators of violence against women and children.

The Draft Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence (RUU TPKS) is a bill that has been long-awaited by several people, as it could be the answer or solution to tackle the rampant cases of violence.

Yet the bill did not make it to the House of Representatives’ plenary meeting on Thursday, December 16. Their decision to not include it disappointed many.

“If (you ask), we are disappointed. Of course, we are disappointed, as the public has awaited this (the bill), and this is a very urgent need of the people,” Deputy Chair of the Legislation Body at the House of Representatives, Willy Aditya, emphasized.

However, Aditya did not want to give in to his disappointment and stressed that he would continue his fight until the bill became a law.

“I am still optimistic (about the ratification of the Anti Sexual Violence Bill), as it is only a matter of time. I will attempt to discuss it with the leadership of the House, so that this bill can be finalized during the next year’s session,” he accentuated.

On the other hand, the Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women has called on the House of Representatives and the government to immediately ratify the bill on account of Indonesia being in a state of emergency due to rampant incidents of sexual violence.

“With the spirit of the women’s movement on December 22, 1928, on Mother’s Day, the Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women recommends and calls on the House of Representatives and the government to immediately ratify the Anti Sexual Violence Bill, which has been demanded by the civil public movement for the last nine years,” Yentriyani affirmed.

Yentriyani also sought everyone’s attention to continuously monitor the discussion process in the House of Representatives and continue to push for the government to ratify the bill as a means to create a sense of justice for women victims.

Moreover, she compelled educational institutions to respond immediately and appropriately to the creation of progressive policies that have been issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry by developing policies to prevent and handle sexual violence in campuses and other educational environments.

The number of cases of violence against women and children is increasing with each passing day owing to the advancements in communication technology, especially social media.

The revelation of these cases is something to be grateful for, as the victims have become more courageous in exposing the perpetrators. Nonetheless, at the same time, it is a matter of major concern that these crimes are still taking place.

The bill should be ratified immediately, so that the perpetrators of violence against women and children can be meted out appropriate punishments to act as a deterrent effect to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in future.

Source: Antara News

The Central Java government has succeeded in reducing the number of cases of stunting in its area in 2021.

“According to the research data, the stunting rate in Central Java fell to 19.9 percent, or it succeeded in surpassing the target set in the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), in which the SDGs has targeted the stunting rate to be below 20 percent by 2030,” Head of the Central Java Provincial Health Office, Yulianto Prabowo, stated in Semarang on Friday.

Prabowo cited data from the Indonesian Nutritional Status Study (SSGI), which showed that the number of cases of stunting in Central Java in 2021 had fallen to 20 percent, from 27 percent recorded last year.

“That’s the SSGI data that comes from the program, while we have our own data in the form of research reports that are smaller in number than that,” he remarked.

Yulianto explained that the number of cases of stunting in Central Java that reached 37 percent in 2013 was successfully reduced to 31 percent in 2018.

“In 2021, according to the research data, stunting in Central Java will drop to 19.9 percent. Hence, the decline is quite good,” he stated.

Central Java Governor, Ganjar Pranowo, lauded everyone that contributed in the efforts to reduce the number of cases of stunting in the region.

“Based on data, we have succeeded in reducing the stunting rate, but of course, we must not become complacent. We must continue to boost programs in order to reduce this stunting rate,” he affirmed.

Pranowo noted that the provincial government was working with the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) in promoting stunting reduction programs.

The Central Java provincial government runs the 5Ng Program as a means to reduce the stunting cases and lower maternal and infant mortality in the region, among others.

“With this system, we can find out how many pregnant women are there. It is noted that in a year, there are 500 thousand pregnant women in Central Java, and the figure then narrowed down again. Hence, a solution to the problem must be sought. If only 20 percent, for instance, then yes, then we will intervene,” he elaborated.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia struggled with two major tasks throughout 2021: breaking the virus chain and maintaining the economy, President Joko Widodo has said.

“Throughout 2021, we are struggling with two major tasks: breaking the chain of the spread of COVID-19 and maintaining the development of the Indonesian economy,” the President wrote on his Instagram account @jokowi on Friday.

Pandemic handling and the economy must be balanced, he said. According to Widodo, virus transmission has so far slowed.

“Hospitals now have more free (resources at their disposal and they can now) take care of patients with non-COVID diseases. This is all because of our contribution in complying with the health protocols and expediting vaccinations,” he remarked.

As of December 30, Indonesia has administered around 273 million vaccine doses, including 160 million first doses and more than 113 million second doses, he noted.

He then highlighted the importance of keeping the economy afloat.

This year, Indonesia experienced a recession, negative growth, slowdown in many sectors, and high uncertainty in almost all fields, Widodo said. However, through passion and hard work, the citizens made it past the trials and tribulations, he added.

“Indonesia’s economy in the second quarter of 2021 grew 3.51 percent (year on year). On the other hand, the pandemic forced (the birth of) a new world: a digital civilization. E-commerce, for example, reached a value of US$24.8 billion this year,” he noted.

From December 1, 2021, until the coming year, Indonesia will hold the Presidency of the G20, a group of 19 countries plus the European Union, which collectively represent around 60 percent of the global population, 80 percent of the global economy, and 75 percent of the global trade, he said.

He described the G20 Presidency as an honor as well as an opportunity for Indonesia to play a bigger and decisive role in global economic recovery and world governance that is healthier, fairer, and more sustainable.

Source: Antara News

State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga confirmed that over 166 thousand vehicles had departed from the Greater Jakarta area through toll roads as of Thursday (Dec 30, 2021).

“The total volume of vehicular traffic departing from Jakarta (as of Thursday) has increased by 14.7 percent as compared to the normal period of the year when 144,877 vehicles were recorded,” according to the company’s press release received in Jakarta on Friday.

A total of 166,200 vehicles were recorded to have passed through the four main toll gates at the outskirts of the Greater Jakarta area in Cikupa to Merak, west of Jakarta; Ciawi, south of Jakarta; and Cikampek and Kalihurip to the Trans-Java toll road and Bandung, West Java.

For eastward-bound toll roads, a total of 78,014 vehicles had passed through the main Cikampek toll gate on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, an increase of 21 percent from the normal traffic, while a total of 36,612 vehicles had passed through the Main Kalihurip toll gate on the Cipularang toll road to Bandung, West Java, an increase of 19.7 percent from the usual traffic.

With regard to the westward-bound toll road, the toll road operator recorded a 2.4-percent increase in the number of vehicles passing through the Cikupa toll gate at the Tangerang-Merak toll road, while a total of 48,502 vehicles had passed through the toll gate.

Meanwhile, a total of 39,684 vehicles passed through the southward-bound Ciawi toll gate on the Jagorawi toll road, an increase of 19.5 percent from the normal traffic.

The toll road company also suggested drivers to make requisite preparations for their journey by ensuring personal health and sufficient balance on the toll card before entering the toll road in addition to observing health protocols in the rest area and officers’ instruction on the toll road.

Source: Antara News

A systematic effort to prevent violence against women and children must start at the family level, an official from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection has said.

“Cases of violence against children correlate with parents, families, schools, and the society. After identifying those key institutions, we can start our effort by instilling comprehension about violence against women and children to allow them to prevent their children from interacting with potential violence perpetrators and detect violence against children sooner,” a deputy at the ministry’s child protection department, Nahar, said, according to a press statement issued by the ministry in Jakarta on Friday.

He reiterated the importance of motivating women and children who have suffered violence to ask for help from others and report their ordeal to the authorities.

Women and children must also be informed about the available emergency and support services that they can avail of, if needed, the deputy added.

Nahar also highlighted the results of a national survey on the daily experiences of youth and children conducted this year, which indicated a declining trend in violence against children.

“In 2018, the survey revealed that up to six out of 10 children had suffered some form of violence, but in 2021, the numbers have declined. The current survey revealed that, for instance, only 4 out of 10 girls had suffered violence, while for the boys, the rate was 3 out of 10,” he informed.

He said that the ministry will continue to study the survey’s results, as it is convinced that regulations and prevention measures have contributed to the decline in cases of violence against children.

However, though it has indicated a decline in violence against children, the survey may have only recorded the basic situation, and individual cases in the regions could have been disregarded, he noted.

To further suppress violence against children, the ministry will continue to encourage regional authorities to develop child-friendly cities and districts and ensure the fulfillment of children’s rights, he added.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia has had 2,489.2 kilometers of operational toll roads nationwide by the end of 2021, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing has informed.

“The toll road networks connect productive locations, such as industrial centers, tourism attractions, airports, and ports, reduce logistics and freight costs, and enhance the competitiveness of domestic products,” Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said in Jakarta on Friday.

As of November 2021, the toll roads in the country comprised 795 km of toll roads constructed between 1978 and 2014, 1,298 km of toll roads constructed in the 2015–2019 period, and 246 km of toll roads developed in 2020 alone, he informed.

“From January until November 2021, a total of 122.9 kilometers of toll roads were opened, and 32.2 km of toll roads were expected to become operational by December to complete the 2,489.2 km of operational toll roads in Indonesia this year,” the minister added.

In the January–November 2021 period, the ministry completed the construction of 10 new toll roads nationwide, Hadimuljono said.

Six of the new toll road sections that opened in the Greater Jakarta area include the 8.2-km section 3A of the Bogor Ring Road, the 14.2-km Cengkareng-Batu Ceper-Kunciran toll road, the 6.5-km section 1 of the Serpong-Cinere toll road, the 2.7-km section 1 of the Cibitung-Cilincing toll road, the 26.5-km Serang-Panimbang toll road, and the 9.3-km six section A toll roads in Jakarta, the minister stated.

The remaining new toll road networks are located outside Java island, he informed. They include the 8.2-km section B1 of the Kayu Agung-Palembang-Betung toll road, the 16-km section 3 of the Sigli-Banda Aceh toll road, the 4.2-km section 1A of the Medan-Binjai toll road in Sumatra, and the 32.4-km section 1 and 5 of the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road in Kalimantan, he added.

The three toll roads expected to become operational by December 2021 are the 13.5-km section 2B of the Manado-Bitung toll road in Sulawesi, the 6.4-km section 2 of the Sigli-Banda Aceh toll road, and the 12.3-km Binjai-Stabat section of the Binjai-Langsa toll road in Sumatra, he said.

The ministry is targeting to operationalize a total of 1,010.8 km of new toll roads in the 2022–2024 period, with 421.8 km of toll roads targeted to be made operational by 2022, 338.1 km by 2023, and 250.8 km by 2024, the Hadimuljono said.

He then reiterated his ministry’s commitment to continue developing toll roads, which have been designated as one of the national strategic projects for achieving the target for operationalizing 3,500 km of toll roads nationwide by 2024.

Source: Antara News