Yayasan Inisiatif Perubahan Akses menuju Sehat (IPAS) Indonesia launched the ARUNIKA (Empowered Women Towards a Violence-Free Indonesia) program in Semarang, Central Java, on November 12, 2024. The program will be conducted in Semarang Regency, Sukoharjo Regency, and Surakarta City.
The purpose of this program is to support the efforts of mechanisms for handling cases of violence, especially sexual violence and other gender-based violence in accordance with Indonesian regulations. That way, women can be empowered in a violence-free environment.
Executive Director of the IPAS Indonesia Foundation, Dr. Marcia Soumokil MPH, said that she was very grateful to the government, especially from the three districts and cities, which had welcomed the ARUNIKA program. This collaboration is an important step to ensure that every woman and adolescent girl can pursue her reproductive rights.
She added that ARUNIKA is a forum for collaboration of all parties to ensure that women and girls are empowered from violence. This collaboration is expected to support efforts to implement Law No. 12 of 2022 on the Crime of Sexual Violence (TPKS) and other relevant laws and regulations in the program area.
“Through ARUNIKA, women and adolescent girls will be equipped with knowledge and skills as decision-making capital for access and services needed by victims and survivors to recover, including access to reproductive health services that they will take,” said Dr. Marcia.
In his remarks, PJ Governor of Central Java Nana Sudjana, represented by Secretary of DP3AKB Central Java Wusani Setyaningsih, said that the government welcomes and will support the implementation of the ARUNIKA program.
According to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Protection’s Violence against Women and Children (KtPA) case recording portal, Simfoni, cases of violence against women and children reached 1,447. The cases were recorded in the period January-September 2024.
“With the launch of the ARUNIKA program in Central Java, we hope to increase the capacity of our colleagues at Puskesmas and hospitals to provide health services for victims of KtPA,” he said.
He also hopes that there will be performance indicators for the implementation of health services for victims of KtPA, especially in the health sector, to improve the quality and access to services. He emphasized that the implementation of the ARUNIKA program requires the synergy of various parties such as the government and the private sector.
Deputy for the Protection of Women’s Rights at the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPA) Ratna Susianawati stressed that the ARUNIKA program can spur and provide a common spirit to reduce and handle cases of violence. Furthermore, she added, ARUNIKA can help efforts to provide services for women and children victims of sexual violence.
“The existence of the ARUNIKA Program [diharapkan] can expand and strengthen so that elements and collaborative work can be maintained and helped. Of course, all of this requires all roles and support from all levels for sexual violence,” she added.
The ARUNIKA program is supported by the Government of Canada. First Secretary Development Canadian Embassy to Indonesia and Timor Leste Sue Weibe said, one of the crucial issues is related to the handling of cases of violence is the recovery process because the time can be very long. Therefore, it is important for the community to be able to provide space for survivors in the recovery process as well as possible and ensure they are not traumatized.
“GAC appreciates the existence of service centers for survivors of sexual violence. However, this is not enough for victims of sexual violence. This is why the [peluncuran ARUNIKA] event is important, as a first step and commitment with all parties, so that they can think about and help victims and survivors. Let’s commit today for victims and survivors of sexual violence,” she said.
