Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) is calling on the House of Representatives to immediately deliberate a sexual violence bill and pass it into a law.

Komnas Perempuan deputy chairman Yuniyanti Chuzaifah said she believed the deliberation would receive widespread support from the public.

"We want Indonesia to do more to protect its people from sexual violence by continuing the bill's deliberation in 2017," said Yuniyanti on Thursday, in her statement to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on Nov.25.

The UN is set to hold a 16-day campaign to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that will start on Nov. 25 and run until Dec. 10, coinciding with Human Rights Day. The campaign involves fund-raising to end gender-based violence.

Yuniyanti said Komnas Perempuan would run the 16-day campaign, which involved 150 activists across the country. She further urged the government to prioritize the eradication of violence against women amid an increase in reports of violence against women.

The commission received 321,752 reports of violence against women in 2015, a nearly 40 percent increase from 2014, in which it received 232,220 reports, she added. (adt/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/11/24/house-urged-to-deliberate-sexual-violence-bill.html