Why is Alternative Education Eminent in Eliminating Gender-based Violence and Promoting Women's Rights in Indonesia?

Once I have got a valuable opportunity to attend a discussion session at Yayasan Rahima (Rahima Foundation) in Jakarta. The speakers were from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who delivered "Women's Human Rights in Islam" as theme of the seminar. This was delivered based on their experiences and the implementations so far in their countries.

There was something that interests me when the panelist from Afghanistan answered one of the discussion's questions: which step is more urgent to do in Afghanistan related to the cases of violence against women occurring in that country, is it eliminating violence against women or promoting education for women?

She claimed that the most urgent thing to implement- related to the status of women in Afghanistan is to achieve and to promote education for the women. According to her, all acts of violence against women could be overcome if women have gained knowledge and know their rights, including the rights to free from violence.

For me, although in some cases there are some differences between the situations of women in Afghanistan and in Indonesia, but from the statement above, I absolutely agree with her point of view, and I believe that we, in Indonesia, have also very similar urgency to be put into action. In this case, it is to considering and pursuing alternative education for women.

Why is educational alternative? 

There are at least three reasons why alternative education for women is very important to carry out, especially in Indonesia nowadays:

Firstly, because of the gender factor, women's access to education is very limited.

Secondly, alternative education is very important because the education curriculum in Indonesia today is still gender bias.

Thirdly, formal education in Indonesia is not currently fulfilling the women's specific needs, such as understanding the rights of women and the reproductive rights, which are free from gender-based violence.

In addition, it does not accommodate the various problems faced by women, such as trafficking, domestic violence, discrimination of women in the workplace, and others.

According to the data from National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), cases of violence occurring in Indonesia showed a significant increase in the number of years 2001-2007. It was described from the data that less than 5000 cases of violence occurring in 2001 increased to more than 25,000 cases of violence in 2007. 

Obviously the cases of gender-based violence in both the domestic and public spaces from year to year continue to increase.

What is Gender-based Violence?

Gender-based violence is violence that is aimed directly against a woman, because she is female or the things that give the woman the impacts, which are not proportional. This includes actions that cause physical harm, mental and sexual abuse or the suffering and threats of such action or violence, coercion, as well as seizure freedom.

These rights and freedoms comprise the right to life, the right not to be subjected, not to be tortured or not to be cruelled, the right not to be treated inhuman, degrading treatment and punishment, the right to get equal protection in relation to the norms of the humanitarian in national and international armed conflicts, the rights to freedom and security; the right to be equal in the legal protection under the Act, the right to the equality in the family, the right to get the highest standards in terms of mental and physical health. 

All things considered, it is believed that alternative education for women is eminent in dealing with the issues of gender-based violence and other complex problems experienced by women.

There are several key impacts that conducting educational alternative is crucial, as follows:

• It is expected that not only could it eliminate violence against women, but also the awareness of the importance of empowering women and girls could be raised.
• Obtaining education on sexuality and reproductive rights of women.
• Women and girls can be provided with skills and understanding of gender equality issues.
• The initiative in thinking about the educational alternative for indigenous communities, and for urban poor groups, as well as for other marginalised groups.
• To facilitate education for the poor so that discrimination against women could be eliminated and the bargaining position of women could be increased and that women can take advantages of as closely as possible to the means of information and to gain knowledge to the broadest areas.
• Increasing opportunities for women to express and develop themselves in accordance with the potentials, talents and their abilities.
• To promote and to improve understanding of women's human rights.
• The prevalence of awareness at the legislative level in order to issue a public policy that needed to overcome the problems of trafficking, prostitution, as well as the exploitation against women and girls, the issue of women and children in areas of conflict, and in the other issue respectively.

However, the exposure of the alternative education for women mentioned would not be successful without the supports of all related parties and participation of the whole societies.

Therefore, the hopes to pursue "all women are free from violence and exploitation and that their rights are protected" could be realised.

Referensi:

- Jurnal Perempuan No.44, 2005

- UN Committee on the Removal All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Recommendation No.19 on Violence against Women