IPAS Indonesia Foundation held an audience with Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi on April 17, 2025. This meeting aimed to strengthen government support for the implementation of the ARUNIKA project (Empowered Women Towards a Violence-Free Indonesia).
The ARUNIKA project was launched in November 2024 with the aim of supporting health services for victims of violence in accordance with the mandate of Law No. 12 of 2022 on the Crime of Sexual Violence. ARUNIKA was conducted in Semarang Regency, Sukoharjo Regency and Surakarta City.
During the meeting, the Governor of Central Java expressed his full support and requested that the model of health services for victims of violence be expanded to all districts/cities in Central Java. “We must replicate this model. Don’t just stop at three regions,” said Ahmad Luthfi.
Government support is one of the important elements for the continuity and sustainability of the project. In addition, collaboration is key in seeking health services for victims of violence.
Executive Director of IPAS Indonesia Foundation Dr. Marcia Soumokil, MPH appreciated this support. “We believe that the success of a program is largely determined by local leadership. This commitment strengthens our hope to realize a more responsive, inclusive, and survivor rights-based service system,” she said.
In 2022, IPAS Indonesia Foundation and the Central Java Regional Police supported the establishment of a Forensic Clinic at RS Bhayangkara Semarang to serve as a service center for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
With strategic collaboration, Yayasan IPAS Indonesia hopes that the ARUNIKA project can encourage the birth of services that are not only responsive, but also transformative in addressing violence against women and children in Indonesia.
