All groups should understand the importance of protecting women because their position often puts them at the center of conflict, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani has said.
“Starting from household conflict, social conflict, to even war between countries,” she noted in a written statement released on Tuesday.
“As a vulnerable group, besides children, the protection of women in a conflict should be a priority,” she said.
Maharani delivered the statement at the commemoration of International Women’s Day on Tuesday.
In a situation of conflict, women, as a vulnerable group, can become victims numerous times, she said.
They face violence, loss of access to basic needs and natural resources, and even become the target of sexual violence, she added.
To this end, the protection of women and their interests should be a priority during the conflict mitigation period and post-conflict period, she said.
She stressed that a nation must fully ensure the rights of women, especially during or after a conflict. A nation’s policies must not enlarge the social gap and discrimination faced by women, she added.
“Regulations that the nation has ratified must effectively function to ensure the protection of women,” she said.
The DPR has continued to ensure that the legislations it creates protect women as a vulnerable group, the Speaker observed. One such legislation is the Sexual Violence Prevention Bill, which is currently being discussed by the DPR and the government, she said.
“DPR will continue to assist in women’s rights and protection so that they will no longer be a victim,” Maharani emphasized.
She then urged Indonesian women to always be brave and speak out when facing conflict because women can make positive contributions to the realization of peace.
The International Women’s Day began with a protest on March 8, 1909, she noted.
Afterward, the action of women workers in New York in 1911 became a historical landmark in the history of gender equality, she added.
Source: Antara News