"This law is important for Indonesian women and children, who are most vulnerable to being victims of sexual violence. The law is a lex specialist (special) law that can provide comprehensive protection for victims of sexual violence from upstream to downstream," Puspayoga noted in a statement received here Monday.
The minister affirmed that the law provided protection to children and women by preventing all forms of sexual violence; handling, protecting, and recovering victims; implementing law enforcement and rehabilitating perpetrators; creating an environment without sexual violence; and ensuring that sexual violence does not recur in future.
The ratification of the law aligns with one of the issues that President Joko Widodo had called on the PPPA Ministry to prioritize, such as reducing the number of cases of violence against women and children.
"The victims and the state suffer from the enormous impacts of sexual violence crimes that include physical, mental, health, economic, social, and political suffering. Therefore, comprehensive regulations governing sexual violence are urgently needed," she emphasized.
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Meanwhile, Deputy for the Protection of Women's Rights at the PPPA Ministry Ratna Susianawati said that apart from recovering, handling, and settling sexual violence cases, the law also regulated prevention through community participation.
"We must encourage public participation, community participation, especially family participation, to ensure that prevention can be conducted on a massive scale. Therefore, women's organizations, mass organizations, community networks, and the government must raise awareness and make efforts to disseminate information to educate the public regarding this law," she added.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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