Eras Poke – Cases of women being abused in East Nusa Tenggara continued to rise, the head of the province's women's empowerment bureau said on Monday.

Yovita Mitak said that 1,580 cases were reported across the province from 2005 to this year, which was part of a worrying national trend.

She said that according to the Pulih Foundation, an advocacy group for victims of violence, there had been a significant increase in cases of violence against women.

According to figures from the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), 14,020 cases were reported nationally in 2004. However, that figure almost quadrupled by 2008, reaching 54,425.

The figures are widely acknowledged as representing only a fraction of the real incidence of abuse cases, with the rise reflecting women's increased willingness to come forward to report violence.

Cases of violence reported to the authorities, Yovita said, occurred in a variety of forms, including physical, mental and sexual abuse as well as trafficking and abandonment.

She said the national mentality emphasized the importance of men in almost every aspect of life, and that women were compelled to do what they were told.

Yovita said the bureau was also critical of a number of laws that were biased against women, particularly those concerning divorce.