Migrant Care lauds the government and the House of Representatives for drafting the Law on Sexual Violence Crime as a legal basis for victims’ protection.
The head of the Center of Migration Study, Migrant Care, Anis Hidayah, delivered the statement during a virtual press conference held by the Network of Right Defenders for Female Sexual Violence Survivors on ‘Important Notes of the Network of Right Defenders for Female Sexual Violence Survivors on the Discussion Session on the Sexual Violence Crime Bill,’ here on Tuesday.
However, Hidayah said it is regrettable that the draft bill does not cover all forms of sexual violence yet, as regulated in international legal instruments or related regulations that already exist in Indonesia.
Various national activist networks have pushed the government and the House of Representatives to include all forms of sexual violence in the bill.
“In terms of the forms of sexual violence, from the start, our colleagues within and outside the network had called for all of the sexual violence forms listed in either international instruments or regulations in Indonesia to be incorporated in the Sexual Violence Crime Draft Bill. It’s a shame that some were not accommodated,” she remarked.
For example, the center had urged that forced abortion and rape be listed as forms of sexual violence in the bill.
However, the plea was not considered, even though these two forms of sexual violence are experienced by many women in Indonesia.
Hidayah noted that nine forms of sexual violence are contained in Article 4 Paragraph (1) of the Sexual Violence Crime Bill.
They include non-physical sexual harassment, physical sexual harassment, forced contraception, forced sterilization, forced marriage, sexual torture, sexual slavery, sexual violence by electronic means, and sexual exploitation.
Source: Antara News