That morning, July 16, 2025, the roads leading to the Sonorejo Village Office, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, felt quiet. Sonorejo, a village known as a leather craft center, is one of the working areas for the ARUNIKA project (Empowered Women for a Violence-Free Indonesia). The weather began to turn hot upon my arrival, with dust in the village office yard indicating the dry season had begun. However, the enthusiasm of the participants of the workshop for establishing Community-Based Services (LBK) remained high in the joglo in front of the village office.
LBK was established as an effort to strengthen the system for reporting and assisting violence cases, especially sexual violence. The objective is clear: to bring service access closer to victims and survivors of violence at the village level.
The workshop was opened by Budiarti Sri Rahayu, Head of the Women’s Empowerment Division of DPPKBP3A Sukoharjo Regency, who emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing violence.
“Therefore, you all are our extended arms in providing services. Sukoharjo Regency also has the ‘Empowered Sub-district’ program. This is similar to the establishment of this LBK. This program aligns with the Vision of the Governor of Central Java. There is also a new gubernatorial vision to establish empowered sub-districts; four sub-districts must be formed, and by the end of the year, all must be established. The goal is to provide services for victims of violence,” said Sri Rahayu.
Rahayu Purwaningsih, the activity facilitator from SPEK HAM, emphasized the urgency of establishing LBK in every village or sub-district. According to her, information and violence prevention services have so far only been available at the city or provincial level, making it difficult for rural communities to access them.
Erlina, the Head of LBK Sonorejo, stated that violence cases in her area have not been handled properly. 2024 data shows there were 116 cases of violence in Sukoharjo Regency, 46 of which were violence against women.
“LBK is important because there have been several cases that we have assisted, and there are also some unreported cases that actually exist. The community of Sonorejo is very responsive to new initiatives, including LBK,” she said.
During the workshop, the LBK structure began to take shape, from the chairperson and secretary to divisions for case intake, handling, and referral. They also drafted an initial work plan, including referral procedures and strategies for program socialization to the community.
The establishment of this LBK is an initial step. There is still much work to be done to ensure LBK can provide effective and sustainable services. The commitment that has been built needs to be strengthened with technical support, mentoring, monitoring, and advocacy.
An important lesson from this process is that building service access for victims of violence is not an instant process. It requires a series of supporting activities such as ongoing discussions, training, and facilitation. Coordination and communication with relevant parties, such as the Department of Women’s Empowerment and the village government, are key for LBK to operate as expected.
Written by Purwantining Fitri Kawuri