Dessy Sagita, Jakarta – Amnesty International on Thursday demanded that the government abolish laws infringing on women's reproductive health rights, including the law that forbids abortion.

"The Indonesian government has pledged to enhance gender equality, but many Indonesian women still struggle for fair and equal treatment," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty's secretary general.

Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty's Indonesia researcher, said the human rights watchdog has sent an open letter to the government, asking it to repeal all women-unfriendly laws and regulations – at the national as well as the local level.

Amnesty also highlighted the nation's criminalization of abortion. Arragon said that under the 2009 Health Law, abortion was allowed if the mother's or the fetus' life is in danger, or in cases of rape.

However, she said, a woman with a life-threatening pregnancy can only get an abortion if she is married because a husband has to give permission for the procedure.

The law also stipulates that rape victims are only allowed to abort a pregnancy within the first six weeks. "So when women find out too late, they could go to jail for illegal abortion," Arradon said.

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, director of the Institute for the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice, said women here still face many cultural constraints in ending pregnancies. But, she said, some progress has been made on the issue over the years.

"Even MUI [the Indonesian Ulema Council], known for its strict stance, has issued an edict allowing abortion for women with life-threatening conditions or for rape victims," she said.

Sugiri Syarief, head of the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN), said it was always possible to revise laws or regulations, as long as all stakeholders were consulted.