The commission, in a press statement issued in Jakarta on Monday, also lauded the central government's decision to establish a specialized task force for advancing the sexual violence prevention bill.
To commemorate Human Rights Day and as part of the commission's 16-day anti-violence against women campaign, its officials organized a working tour to eight Indonesian provinces for meeting with victims' companions, law enforcers, higher education institutions, religious figures, and regional authorities.
The provinces visited by the women's commission included North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau Islands, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Yogyakarta, Central Java, and North Maluku, according to the press statement.
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During the meeting, the commission said, officials found numerous cases exposing the difficulties faced by sexual violence victims and by the authorities in reducing the incidence of sexual violence.
According to the commission, lack of healthcare access and psychological assistance for sexual violence victims hinder victims' recovery despite the existence of specialized judicial procedures for dealing with violence against women and active advocacy by public institutions for promoting anti-violence conduct in their regions.
Activists and regional apparatuses also highlighted the disproportionate resources available to deal with a sudden surge in sexual violence victims seeking assistance from the institutions and the prevalence of intimidation and criminalization of victims' companions, the commission said.
The commission emphasized that activists and sexual violence victims it met expressed the same hope: quick finalization of the sexual violence prevention bill into law.
The sexual violence prevention bill will assure victims' rights and encourage advocacy institutions to enhance their work for protecting sexual violence victims, the commission noted.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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