The IPAS Indonesia Foundation, in collaboration with Jakarta Feminist and Doctors Without Stigma, held a Mini Festival of Reproductive Justice on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at STIK Sint Carolus, Central Jakarta. This event, supported by the Canadian Government, aims to foster solidarity with victims and survivors of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence (GBSV).
This event also serves as an opportunity to enhance public understanding regarding healthcare services for GBSV victims and survivors. Based on the aforementioned law, victims of sexual violence have the right to receive treatment, protection, and recovery, including healthcare services.
Nevertheless, many victims still face difficulties accessing adequate healthcare services. This is due, among other factors, to policies not being fully implemented, funding schemes, stigma, and uneven distribution of facilities and service quality.
To assess the extent of healthcare service implementation for GBSV victims and survivors, this mini festival featured a plenary discussion inviting speakers from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, the Ministry of Health, and the Jakarta Metropolitan Police. The discussion underscored that cross-sectoral cooperation is crucial to ensure the implementation of regulations at both national and regional levels.
Dr. Marcia Soumokil, MPH, Executive Director of IPAS Indonesia Foundation, stated that collaboration between the government and civil society is vital in ensuring comprehensive and holistic access for victims and survivors of sexual violence. This cooperation forms a crucial foundation, as public participation and community aspirations play a significant role in overseeing policy implementation.
“From the perspective of civil society, public involvement not only provides valuable input but also serves as a bridge between the experiences of victims and survivors and the concrete steps taken by the government. These community aspirations are expected to help refine the mechanisms for handling sexual violence cases, making them more responsive and aligned with on-the-ground needs,” she added.
She expressed hope that dialogue and collaboration between the government and civil society would continue to strengthen legal protection, healthcare services, psychological support, and access to justice for victims and survivors.
Anindya Restuviani, Program Director of Jakarta Feminist, added, “Issues of sexual violence and violence against women are often overlooked in discussions regarding the fulfillment of health rights, including general health, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.”
“I am very happy to see many friends who want to celebrate victories, but also continue to express anger about how many issues of sexual violence, especially for victims of sexual violence in Indonesia, still prevent them from accessing their right to health recovery, particularly concerning their sexual and reproductive health,” she added.
Beth Resistia, Advocacy Network Staff at Dokter Tanpa Stigma (Doctors Without Stigma), added that healthcare services for victims and survivors of sexual violence are not only related to physical health but also mental health, which is also a part of human rights. “Therefore, this collaboration is expected to raise awareness, not only among the public but also among healthcare professionals, to provide comprehensive and holistic, stigma-free services for victims and survivors of sexual violence,” she added.
Over 100 individuals from various backgrounds, including the general public, students, representatives of civil society organizations, and healthcare professionals, attended this event. Beyond the plenary session, attendees also participated in several parallel classes such as a yoga class, a writing class to advocate for women’s justice led by writer and activist Kalis Mardiasih, and a Zine-making class with artist Hai Rembulan.
“One participant created an informational zine about Deaf Friends; besides painting and collage, they also made a very exciting and interactive pop-up card. As an initiator, I felt fortunate to witness their work personally during the session where I assisted them one by one. Even if some weren’t finished, I hope this zine workshop can be a hook for them to revisit zines when they need a space to be themselves,” said Rembulan.
Several attendees participated in the Emotional Tank Class by Dokter Tanpa Stigma (Doctors Without Stigma) to recognize and manage emotions stemming from trauma. Equally engaging was the First Responder class by Jakarta Feminist, which provided education on how to identify and respond to dangerous situations, such as violence or harassment.
This Mini Festival also featured several interactive booths from Jakarta Feminist, Doctors Without Stigma, and CISDI (The Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives), which invited participants to discuss various issues within the scope of sexual and reproductive health, gender-based and sexual violence, and mental health.
IPAS Indonesia Foundation collaborated with healthcare professionals from STIK SINT Carolus to provide free basic health screenings and reproductive health counseling booths. This collaboration aims to bring healthcare services closer to the community.
Through this booth, 38 participants underwent basic health screenings for conditions such as uric acid, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Additionally, 19 participants underwent IVA tests (cervical cancer screening), and 8 participants accessed basic reproductive health counseling services.
The mini festival concluded with a film screening and discussion featuring Frenia Nababan (Women’s Health Foundation), Uli Pangaribuan (LBH Apik Jakarta), and Maria Immaculata (mental health practitioner).
The first film screened was ASA, which tells the story of a teenager’s struggle after experiencing sexual violence and an unplanned pregnancy. The second film was The Flower and The Bee by Monica Tedja, which portrays a 10-year-old girl’s curiosity about sexuality.
Magdalena Mahodim, a participant and student at STIK SINT Carolus, stated that the event was engaging and insightful, adding, “reproductive justice issues discussed in this activity can be integrated into education so that students from health science disciplines can be more open-minded about this matter.”