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Women's March in Bandung takes up gender based injustice

Tribune - March 4, 2018

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Women's March highlights sexual and workplace violence, underage marriage – BBC Indonesia. March 3, 2018
Students in Palu commemorate Kartini Day with call for end to violence against women – Pembebasan. April 22, 2017

Putri Puspita, Bandung – In welcoming International Women's Day (IWD) which falls on March 8, a number of different communities in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung have taken part in the Women's March action.

The theme taken up by the Bandung Women's march was "Gender Based Injustice". Bandung Women's March committee member Bunga said that the rally was not just held as a commemoration of the women's struggle.

"Our aim in organising the Women's March is to increase the public's level of awareness, understanding and empathy, about the importance of fighting against gender based injustice", said Bunga when speaking to Tribune West Java at Dago Car Free Day on Sunday March 4.

The Women's March 2018 took up five main demands related to what is happening in Indonesia, namely:

1. Underage marriage

Currently, Indonesia is in second place as the country with the highest level of underage marriage in South East Asia. Two out of three underage marriages end in divorce. Cases of underage marriage almost entirely close off women's access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities and the sense of security from marriage.

2. Violence in marriage

A 2016 National Women's Life Experience Survey (SPHPN) showed that one in three women aged 15-64 years experienced physical and sexual violence by their partner or others. As many as 259,150 cases of violence against women were reported and dealt with in 2016.

3. Discrimination against women

Many women experience discrimination including wage disparities, limited opportunities, stigma and problems obtaining menstrual and maternity leave.

4. Women workers and human trafficking

Based on data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for 2015, Indonesia was first place in the world for cases of human trafficking with a total of 6,651 cases recorded. The province of West Java was the worst region for human trafficking with 2,151 cases.

5. Expanding the adultery articles in the RKUHP

The draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) has the potential to criminalise women, particularly victims of sexual violence. If enacted, the RKUHP could result in the jailing of rape victims, couples in marriages that are not officially registered with the state and those carrying out campaigns on reproductive health (*)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was Women's March Bandung Angkat Isu Ketidakadilan Berbasis Gender.]

Source: http://jabar.tribunnews.com/2018/03/04/womens-march-bandung-angkat-isu-ketidakadilan-berbasis-gender.

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