The Scourge of Femicide: How Do We Address Violence Against Women in Indonesia?

Picture: Yogyakarta, Indonesia, August 9 2019: Group of people Ceremony to celebrate Indonesia independence day in Bale Rante Village | iStock

In an article by Monash University Lens, Sharyn Davies examines the pervasive issue of femicide in Indonesia, highlighting the cultural, legal, and societal challenges that perpetuate violence against women, and calls for comprehensive reforms to address this urgent crisis.

The difficulty of collecting reliable statistics in Indonesia is compounded by the fact the Indonesian justice system doesn’t recognise femicide as a distinct crime. Rather, it’s often mischaracterised as an individual crime, framed within the context of domestic violence or jealousy.

Framing femicide as an individual crime related to personal issues or jealousy obscures its systemic roots in gender inequality and patriarchal power structures.

To help provide a clearer picture of the prevalence of femicide, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) is calling for the Indonesian government to maintain a database in the country.

This call is one important step towards recognising the specific nature of the crime and addressing its drivers. However, tackling the femicide crisis requires a sustained, multidimensional approach that’s based on evidence of what works.