Nurfika Osman – In an effort to boost the country's campaign against abuse of women, a women's rights watchdog is set to release a compilation of reports on violence against women over the weekend.

The book will contain articles on victims who have dealt with the physical and psychological effects of abuse, extensive analyses of the causes and effects of different issues related to violence, and recommendations that would prevent abuse.

The book was compiled from reports of violence against women over the past 40 years.

The book launch, which will be held during a two-day seminar on violence against women that starts on Sunday, is one of the activities being supported by the government to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, officially celebrated on Wednesday.

Kamala Chandrakirana, chairwoman of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), said the commission was hoping the book would pave the way for a more comprehensive program to protect women's rights.

"With this compilation of reports, we hope to unearth the very core of the problem and come up with more concrete solutions to make sure acts of violence are prevented," she said.

Although the book will not be for sale, copies will be distributed to government agencies that specialize in the field, nongovernmental organizations and academic experts.

Kamala said the number of reported cases of domestic violence against women rose steeply from 25,522 in 2007 to 54,425 in 2008, an increase of 113 percent.

She added that victims of domestic violence often decided against taking their cases to court because they resented the bureaucracy they were forced to confront in the judicial process.

Expected to attend the seminar over the weekend were President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former President BJ Habibie and State Minister for Women's Empowerment Linda Amalia Sari, as well as women's rights activists from 11 countries in Asia and Africa.

Meanwhile, women's groups kicked off a broader campaign promoting awareness of domestic violence on Wednesday.

The "We Can, Indonesia" campaign is a 16-day, nationwide initiative covering 22 provinces, including Aceh, Central Java, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra and Papua.

At least 50 NGOs are supporting the campaign, including the Indonesian Women's Coalition and the APIK Legal Foundation. The national awareness drive ends on Dec. 10, widely celebrated as Human Rights Day.