Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – The Law and Human Rights Minister, Yassona Laoly, together with the House of Representatives (DPR) legislation board collectively agreed on 50 bills to be included in the prioritized 2020 national legislation program (Prolegnas). One of which is the much anticipated anti-sexual violence bill simply known as the RUU PKS.

The following are 5 reasons why the RUU PKS must be immediately passed:

Diminishing sexual violence cases in Indonesia

Former Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Yohana Yembise said that the bill is aimed at suppressing the number of sexual crime in Indonesia, especially those experienced by women and children.

According to the data from the central statistics agency (BPS), Yohana said that one of three Indonesian women had experienced sexual harassment while one out of seven children has experienced physical and sexual violence, mental abuse, and child abandonment.

Eradicating female discrimination

The weight carried by the bill is attested by the Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, as it acts as the government's presence in eliminating discrimination against the female gender and provide actual protection and justice for women.

"The RUU PKS can hopefully eliminate discrimination against women as it prevents sexual violence, cracks down on perpetrators of the crime, rehabilitates victims, and establishes the country's obligation to eradicate sexual violence," said Mahfud MD on Thursday, December 19, 2019.

Criminal Code has yet to fully accommodate sexual harassment

Commissioner of the National Commission for Women, Azriana, said the stagnation of RUU PKS discussion shows the lack of care from legislators on the thousands of sexual violence victims.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recorded that 16,943 women have fallen victim to sexual assault cases since the Bill was first initiated in 2016, with an annual average of 5,327 cases in 2018. Forum Pengada Layanan (FPL) also found that only 40 percent of those were reported to the police and most depressingly, only 10 percent of them were taken to court.

Sexual violence cases on the rise

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) suggests that on average, three women in Indonesia become a victim of violence every two hours. The commissioner, Azriana, stated in 2012 that within the previous decade from 2001 to 2011, 35 women become the victims of sexual crime. This data was used as a basis to push for the passing of the bill in the DPR.

Victims yet to be accommodated by existing law

Indonesia Feminist Lawyer Club Chairwoman Nur Setia Alam Prawiranegara once said that the rights of sexual violence victims, handled by her organization, are not represented in the country's law, such as the right to conduct abortion for rape victims.

The RUU PKS is also hoped to acknowledge the rights of the victims such as legal assistance, psychological assistance, medical assistance, and psychosocial services.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1296327/5-reasons-the-anti-sexual-violence-bill-must-be-passed