"Behind the positive benefits that we get from the internet, there are many challenges that become a concern for all of us. In this case, online gender-based violence is one of the problems that continue to increase in cyberspace," the minister noted at the 2023 Safer Internet Day commemoration here on Wednesday.
Based on the 2021 National Women's Life Experience Survey (SPHPN), 8.7 percent of women in the age bracket of 15 to 64 years have experienced online sexual harassment since they were 15. Meanwhile, 3.3 percent of women had faced online sexual harassment in 2021.
Puspayoga cited the report of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) that showed online gender-based violence dominated the complaints in the public domain received by the commission, reaching 69 percent.
According to the minister, with the high number of women and children in Indonesia, it is important that their quality of life be improved through efforts including by protecting them from various threats, including online gender-based violence.
Puspayoga remarked that the ratification of Law Number 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crime is the government's real action to suppress the number of cases of online gender-based violence.
The minister is optimistic that the law can be implemented optimally in the field with the support of all parties to disseminate information regarding the law to the community.
"The presence of ladies and gentlemen, everyone present today, both offline and online, will be very important to take part in the dissemination (of information regarding) Law Number 12 of 2022," she remarked at the Wednesday event.
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Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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