Luh De Suriyani and Claudia Sardi, Denpasar – The Bali Commission for Children's Protection (KPAI) and Yayasan Bali Sruti, a local women's rights NGO, have warned local media to stop publishing material that discriminates against and is offensive to their charges.
The warning was conveyed early last week during a women's and children's empowerment workshop organized by Koran Tokoh, a local tabloid and Rotary Club Bali at the Bali Post building. The workshop was attended by 30 journalists, writers and artists.
The KPAI and Bali Sruti said the mass media had become bolder and more aggressive in its publications about violence against women and children in recent years. They said the articles rarely considered the perspective of those who were discriminated against.
"The media has committed additional violence by publishing such discriminatory news. They should have acted as a dedicated proponent of gender equality and protection for children," said Luh Riniti Rahayu, a chairwoman of Bali Sruti.
The most recent example, she said, was a series of reports about two students in Buleleng who unknowingly and without giving consent were filmed while having sex by their friends. The movie was later distributed, again without their knowledge, to their fellow students and later was leaked to the general public.
Rahayu said that the local media, instead of portraying the two students as victims, had pressured the schools and the local education agency to discharge the students from their school.
"The Law on Children Protection clearly stipulates that every institution should provide children who are subjects of legal proceedings with legal protection and uphold their best interests including preserving their rights to schooling," deputy head of KPAI Luh Anggreni said.
He aid the media had a very powerful influence on readers' opinions. "News coverage that fails to project empathetic images of the victims makes it more difficult for us to empower the marginalized groups, such as women and children," she added.
Rahayu said the media was dominated by a patriarchal paradigm and a capitalist mind-set, adding that both were traditionally the dominions of men. She said the media largely portrayed women as sexual, helpless objects.
"The media should hire more women and provide them with active and influential roles in the editorial process of deciding what news should be published," she said.
Luh Ketut Suryani, a psychiatrist and founder of the Committee Against Sexual Abuse (CASA), said that in general the law was effectively implemented. "People are becoming more and more aware of their rights to reject pedophilia and to protect their children," Suryani said.
She said her committee aimed to sensitize people to the issue. CASA cooperates with NGOs and local police in pedophilia-related crime cases. "Many of the suspects have been sued and are now facing possible long-term imprisonment, which is a big success in the acceptance of children's rights," she added.