"I hope all universities across Indonesia would immediately form the Task Force as an effort to prevent sexual violence in campuses," Puspayoga noted in a press statement on Wednesday.
The minister supports the efforts to establish a Task Force in universities to accelerate the implementation of the Regulation of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia Number 30 of 2021 on Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education.
Puspayoga is optimistic that the university, as a higher education environment, should be free from all acts of sexual violence.
"Sexual violence is a horrible form of crime that can have an impact on the mental and physical well-being and damage the future of the victim. We cannot tolerate sexual violence in any form," she emphasized.
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The minister also noted that the local government, community organization, religious and community leaders, educational institutions, office environment, families, and individuals must prevent sexual violence not only limited to the campus environment.
She urged all parties to prioritize the prevention of sexual violence in their environment.
Along with prevention, the minister emphasized that law enforcement was also necessary to uphold justice and have a deterrent effect on the perpetrators.
"Prevention is the upstream of all efforts to prevent sexual violence. In addition, justice must be upheld in accordance with applicable laws in Indonesia. We will not tolerate any form of sexual violence and its perpetrators," she remarked.
Earlier, National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) reported an increase in the reports of sexual violence on campus after the education, culture, research, and technology minister issued a regulation on the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education.
Komnas Perempuan said the increase in reports of sexual violence in the higher education environment had indicated that the ministerial regulation was starting to reveal the iceberg phenomenon of sexual violence in higher education.
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Translator: Anita P D, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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