The chairperson highlighted an increasing trend of sexual violence cases against women as the rationale for supporting Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology's Regulation No. 30 of 2021 on Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education.
"We have recorded 2,389 cases of violence against women this year, and 53 percent of the recorded cases are those of sexual violence, including those within educational institutions. Those cases are only the reported ones, as there are more undocumented cases of violence against women," Yentriyani informed during an online event hosted by the ministry in Jakarta on Friday.
Sexual violence in educational institutions could occur among students, lecturers, or other university staff, she remarked.
"Reluctance to acknowledge sexual approach as non-consensual has become the major obstacle in investigating sexual violence cases," the chairperson remarked.
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Recognizing the importance of the sexual violence prevention regulation, the Women's Commission lauded the ministry's decision to enact the ministerial regulation as the legal basis for sexual violence prevention and handling in educational institutions, she affirmed.
"The Commission lauded Minister Makarim for enacting the sexual violence prevention regulation. We also highlighted article 19 of the regulation that penalizes not only the sexual violence perpetrator but also the educational institution that neglected its duty to prevent sexual violence in its premises," Yentriyani stated.
Earlier, Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim informed that the ministerial regulation aimed at providing solutions to the alarming levels of sexual violence cases in higher educational institutions.
"The ministerial regulation is the answer to concerns of parents, lecturers, university staff, and students in Indonesia," the minister stated.
The regulation is aimed at providing and streamlining a sexual violence prevention system that is focused on victims' recovery and creates a safe educational environment for the academic community to learn and develop themselves, Makarim emphasized.
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Translator: Devi Nindy SR, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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