Photo by Asep Fathulrahman for Antara.
Please note that this episode discusses gender violence that some people may find disturbing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised.
UN Women recently described violence against women during Covid-19 as “the shadow pandemic”. As Covid-19 has gotten worse, so have women’s experiences of domestic violence. Indonesia’s National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) reported that the pandemic has reduced victims’ ability to report incidents of violence safely, aggravating the already elevated risks of domestic violence during the outbreak. Indonesia has a legal framework to address gender-based violence – the 2004 Anti-Domestic Violence Law – but the law’s efficacy is disputable.
In this week’s Talking Indonesia, Dr Annisa Beta discusses domestic violence in Indonesia with Balawyn Jones. Balawyn Jones is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society (CILIS) at Melbourne Law School. Her doctoral thesis examines the implementation of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law in Indonesia, with a focus on the intersection between gender, religion and law. She is also an honorary fellow at Melbourne Law School, teaching Criminal Law. Balawyn has written extensively on domestic violence in Indonesia. In 2020, she published a book chapter “The politics of care: A case study of domestic violence in Aceh” in Gender, Violence and Power in Indonesia: Across Time and Space edited by Katharine McGregor, Ana Dragojlovic and Hannah Loney. Balawyn also wrote about the increase of domestic violence cases during the pandemic for Indonesia at Melbourne.
In 2021, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Annisa Beta, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.
Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen via your favourite podcasting app.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and require support in Indonesia contact LBH Apik, Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan Dan Anak (P2TP2A) or Unit Pelayanan Perempuan dan Anak (PPA) Polda, or local services in Australia.
