She Builds Peace E-zine

SHE BUILDS PEACE

E-ZINE

Stand with women peacebuilders

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

Foreword

02

The team

04

Verbal sexual Harassment uncomfortably normal thing in our society

08

Girls thoughts about sexual harrasment

11

Boys thoughts about sexual harrasment

14

Seruni Bali: Counseling and assistance for women victim of violence

18

Sexual Harrasment at workplace

21

Girls, Legally Blondie Movie show us why our solidarity matters

23

Women's Voices

24

Online gender based violence: A brief Introduction

27

The Moment of Lift: The Moment of Reflection

30

Kim Ji Young Born 1982: Study on Everyday Sexism and Misogyny

32

Have You Ever Heard About Female Genital Mutilation ?

35

Make Art, Not FGM

36

Sexual Violence in Bali

38

Mengayu: a community that exists for women

41

A Poetry : The Darkest

FOREWORD Welcome to She Builds Peace e-zine, I’m delighted to share this electronic magazine with you, where we are bringing together for you all the hope about eliminating sexual harassment.

She Builds Peace e-zine is a project of Act Global, with funding from She Builds Peace Community Grant. This e-zine aims to educate people about sexual harassment. The idea to create this e-zine is to make the education about sexual harassment more attractive and we can access the e-zine for a long time, its easier to share, and friendly for the environment. This e-zine covers the definition of sexual harassment, thought about sexual harassment from male and female, profile, and many more topics related to women’s issues as well.

I’m proud of the cooperation between Act Global and She Builds Peace, and I’m thankful for the team who took part in this work, your effort and contributions are much appreciated. Finally, we would love to hear from you about this e-zine!

Nevy Widya Pangestika Editor in chief 01

THE TEAM Editor in chief

Nevy Widya Pangestika

Art Director

Trianingsih

Associate Art Director

Kurnia Wardani M.J.

Writers

Nevy Widya Pangestika Kurnia Wardani M.J. Mening Lestari

Proofreaders

Harun Arrashyid Hermanto

Image credit

Seruni Mengayu AP Photo/Elaine Thompson Priscilla Du Preez Sam Thomas Canstock/Doidam10 Apple Newsroom korea.net Daniilantiq 20 th Century Fox We used free copyright images

Presented by

She builds peace e-zine, Act Global, 2022.

Supported by

"Rape is not just a physical, violent act perpetrated against one victim, it is an assault on humanity."

Emma Watson

Verbal Sexual Harassment Uncomfortably Normal Thing in Our Society 04

Sexual harassment has become normal in our society. This is indicated by the increasing number of women victims of sexual harassment in Indonesia.

According to the National Commission on Violence against Women, sexual harassment cases rank third after rape and sexual abuse. This data is still classified as an iceberg phenomenon because there are still many women who do not report the abuse they experienced. Then what about men? Although cases of sexual harassment against men do not surface, it does not mean that men are free from sexual harassment. Do you know about the sexual harassment case of online ojek (motorcycle transportation service) drivers?

Reporting from VICE, in 2019 one of the online ojek companies in Indonesia received 50 percent complaints of sexual harassment from its driving partners. The victims of this case were men and they did not dare to report it because they felt ashamed (Hastanto, 2020). Not only from strangers, but sexual harassment also comes from people close to the victim. Based on the sphere, cases of sexual harassment from personal relationships occupy the highest position. The highest case of sexual harassment in this sphere comes from boyfriends followed by the biological father and stepfather/foster father of the victims. While in the community/public sphere, the perpetrators of harassment from close related people are more numerous than the strangers.

Perpetrators of the close related people are neighbors, friends, and teachers of the victims (National Commission on Violence against Women, 2020).

The proximity of the perpetrators and the victims has made cases of sexual harassment quite complex. In addition, there are victims who cannot deal with sexual harassment behavior. One type of sexual harassment that is difficult to avoid and ambiguous for some people is verbal sexual harassment.

N (34, Sales Executive) shared her experience of verbal sexual harassment when she was in a motorcycle repair shop, “Someone called me and I politely answered him. Then he spoke about his genital and wanted to hook up with me. I considered this person was insane. I just ignored him, paid the bill, and left”. She continued, “In my opinion, sexual harassment is considered normal because from the offender's side, maybe it’s not harassment. The reason they frequently said those words is want to get closer or give praise to someone even though it does not rule out negative intent as well. From the victim's side, feeling like being humiliated makes the victim get offended. In essence, it depends on how the victim receives the sentence, it can be a positive or negative thing.”

05

B (21, College Student) gave another story to us, “I never received harassing word before, but I experienced physical sexual harassment when I was on junior high school. All of a sudden, a stranger hugged and touched me without permission, I was aghast of it”. Then, he recounted his point of view about sexual harassment, “Honestly, I used to say something harassing oftentimes. Now I realize that what I did was actually verbal sexual harassment. It was a normal thing to do with my friends. Sometimes I felt like it was wrong when I saw my friends do that, but I can’t say anything so I just kept quiet. Based on my experience with my friend group, we did verbal harassment because it’s just for fun, to elevate ourselves in society, and to show our interest in someone we fancy. Sexual harassment depends on people's perceptions. Some boys think it is a bait for girls and some girls will think that they get attention by receiving words like that.”

Perspectives on verbal sexual harassment and taking offense can be subjective, but it doesn’t mean you should normalize it when you feel humiliated and uncomfortable in small talk. It is not wrong if you are fed up with receiving words that are felt to be sexually harassing. More clearly, things including verbal sexual harassment according to United Nations are as follows.

• Words intended for adults with nicknames such as doll or girl.

• Whistling and catcalling someone.

• Make a sexual comment on a person’s body.

• Make sexual comments or innuendo.

• Direct work discussion towards sexual topics.

• Tell sexual stories and jokes.

• Ask about fantasy, preferences, and sexual history.

• Ask personal questions about social and sexual life.

• Making sounds like kissing, howling, or smacking the lips.

• Make sexual comments about a person’s clothes, anatomy, or appearance.

• Repeatedly ask/invite someone who has shown disinterest.

• Tell lies or spread rumors about someone’s personal sexual life.

Then, how should our attitude towards verbal sexual harassment? We asked Rickdy Vanduwin, Founder and Chair of Resource Center on Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights Studies Udayana about this. He stated that the response given depends on the situation when receiving such harassment.

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Reprimand the offender if you feel it is safe to do so. However, if you are in a quiet place or doers do it in the group, it is better if you get away from the situation because confrontation is feared will worsen the situation. If you see a friend or other person verbally abused, ideally, help fight.

However, conditions are not always supportive to give a reaction like that. The safety of the victim is the most important. Securing the victim to another place or situation will be better.

He also suggested if the victim tells the incident of abuse experienced, listen well. Say thank you for telling the story because talking about abuse isn’t easy. Sometimes, victims need to reopen their trauma memories. In a moment like this, your advice and lecture will not help the victims. At that stage, they just want to be heard. When the victims ask for an opinion on what needs to be done, you can refer them to some institutes for the protection of victims of sexual harassment. We don’t need to be the most knowledgeable people to help, just point to capable institutions like Apik Legal Aid Institute and Women’s Crisis Center. In case agencies like these are not in your city, you can contact the hotline or fill out an online complaint form for the National Commission on Violence against Women.

Finally, Rickdy Vanduwin concludes our interview with steps that can be taken to educate ourselves about sexual harassment. He said that the first thing to do was to begin to understand that anyone could be sexually abused. Perpetrators do not know the time, what clothes we use, gender, age, and others. Second, don’t give questions that can trigger victims to blame themselves. It should be reminded that victims need help to get up again to leave their trauma. Always support the victims by hearing their stories and helping them become survivors.

By Mening Lestari

07

GIRLS THOUGHTS ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT

“Stop exaggerating, it just a joke”.

“I said that as a compliment, you should be happy about that”.

Have you ever heard responses like that every time your friend or you feel sexually harassed? Some verbal sexual harassment are usually meant to tease or to get other people's attention.

These habits are understandable when entering a normal conversation. Although it is considered normal, there are still many girls who claim that this habit makes them uncomfortable.

Most of them also claimed that they did not dare to confront directly to prevent conflict in a social circle. But what kind of words that make you feel sexually harassed? Why don’t we just laugh with that ‘joke and compliment’ so we won’t ruin the atmosphere of our social circle?

Therefore, we present the girl’s viewpoints regarding verbal sexual harassment. Their names are written in pseudonyms for privacy reason.

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What do you know about verbal sexual harassment?

KW2, 22, College Student Verbal sexual harassment, in my opinion, is harassment in the form of spoken sentences, where the sentence contains elements that are condescending, disparaging the opposite sex (not only women, anyone can be a victim), and categorized usual thing even for the victims, because there is no violence/physical evidence that they have been harassed.

P, 23, Digital Marketer Usually, it starts with catcalling or calling in an impolite way. Then if it is not responded to, they will use words that even more impolite.

Have you ever experienced verbal sexual harassment? What kind of words that make you uncomfortable so they can be categorized as verbal sexual harassment?

Akeno Ryu, 25, Private Employee Sentences stating that I don’t have breasts because I am thin and don’t like wearing tight clothes, as well as other inappropriate statements about genitals that are personal. There was also a man who jokes about his pants zipper is open and asked if I would zip his pants.

Ponyo, 21, College Student Yes, some boys that I don’t know approached me and said, “can I get your number? Where do you go, pretty? I can pick you up.” Then, they were whistling loudly and laughed so hard.

What kind of words do you think deserves to be called a joke when socializing?

Jiji, 20, College Student The joke that does not discredit gender and race.

Suty, 21, College Student A sentence without mocking and judging purpose.

Akeno Ryu, 25, Private Employee Sentences that are not consisting of sexual things, because a sexual thing is a personal right. It is a different story when you and your friends have the same consent about that. Even sentences that offend the whole body are not suitable to be used as a joke.

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What kind of sentence do you think deserves to be called a form of compliment when socializing?

Cimili Wikiti, 21, College Student A sentence that is not sound like excessive praise. I don’t like it when people say, “You are pretty, you are hot.” Please, I am not a kind of chili.

Tiara, 21, College Student A sentence that truly shows appreciation without hidden meaning.

What was your reaction when you received verbal sexual harassment words?

Melati, 22, College Student I am offended and just confronted them KW2, 22, College Student My body and mouth remained silent, but my face could not hide my feelings about it.

I forced my mouth to smile wryly while laughing in a flat tone to prove that the sentence was not funny. Sometimes when people are the same age, I still dare to say, “What do you mean?” But when the boss says those sentences, I can only remain silent while trembling.

Aoi, 22, College Student I felt not comfortable and wanted to respond sarcastically.

Jiji, 20, College Student Honestly, I didn’t know how to react.

Do you have the same thoughts? However if you feel you are sexually harassed, don’t let those experiences determine your value.

By Mening Lestari

10

Boys Thoughts About Sexual Harassment

We have heard a lot about verbal harassment cases that occur in everyday life. Most cases that rise to the surface are experienced by girls. However, this does not rule out that boys can also be victims of sexual harassment. Therefore, we also asked male respondents some questions about their opinions regarding this issue. What do they think are harassing words and how do they react when they hear those words.

What do you know about verbal sexual harassment?

Aliando, 22, Artist Sexual harassment directed at the victim with unpleasant words.

Mimin, 22, College Student Unconscious behavior with the intention of joking to expect a sweet response from the victim or those around him/her.

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Have you ever experienced verbal sexual harassment? What kind of words make you uncomfortable so they can be categorized as verbal sexual harassment?

Arejasana, 22, College Student Maybe. Being tempted by someone unfamiliar with inappropriate words such as calling someone with one’s physical condition. For example, referring to someone by calling body parts like the buttocks and chest, or words that lead to things that are not polite.

Mimin, 22, College Student I think maybe, like received a calling from someone who is not really close like: hi dear, handsome, or pretty.

Mr. B, 21, College Student Yes, I have. Such as profane words that harass the body.

What kind of words do you think deserves to be called a joke when socializing?

Arejasana, 22, College Student You can call your friend is stupid and lazy as a joke. With condition that such a word is expressed to someone we have known for a long time, where that person is a friend or friend who has understood each other Mr. B, 21, College Student Sentences that do not describe someone else to be ridiculed, but intended for yourself.

What kind of sentence do you think deserves to be called a form of compliment when socializing?

Akatsuki, 23, College Student Praise for achievements in academic, career, and family relations.

Helmy, 21, College Student It would be better if the compliment was delivered in a polite manner.

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What was your reaction when you received a verbal sexual harassment word?

Akatsuki, 23, College Student I was shocked and tried to not be provoked.

Aliando, 22, Artist I have never experienced verbal sexual harassment. But if it happens to me, I will feel angry, furious, and wanted to hit the person who say that.

Helmy, 21, College Student I was disappointed when I heard that.

Based on the results of the survey, most respondents stated that they were not sure whether the words they received were considered harassment or not. It could be because sexual harassment has been so normalized in our society, or it could be a lack of knowledge about sexual harassment. Responding to the problem, what we can do is to learn more about sexual harassment education, spread information, spread awareness and start listening to people with empathetic conversations.

By Mening Lestari 13

Seruni Bali: Counseling and Assistance foR Women Victim of Violence

“There are far too many silent sufferers.

Not because they don’t yearn to reach out, but because they’ve tried and found no one who cares.”

-Richelle E. Goodrich

Violence against women is common universal issue occurring in every part of the world. Sadly, many victims of violence usually do not talk about the abuse, it's either because of the normalization of the abuse, minimization of the abuse (such as bullying), shame, fear, and lack of support.

We had an opportunity to talk with Ufiya Amirah, the Head of Organization’s Preparatory Committee of Seruni Bali, where women victims of violence can ask for help. Seruni is an abbreviation of Serikat Perempuan Indonesia (Indonesian Women’s Union). Seruni Bali was founded in 2018.

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The story behind the foundation of Seruni Bali is due to the void of the progressive Balinese women's movement. Considering the rampant exploitation of female workers, the massive trafficking of children, and the silence of universities in Bali for sexual violence cases experienced by their civitas. In 2018, Seruni Bali became a major women's labor movement in Bali. However, Seruni is not exclusive to labor organizations. Seruni reaches out to students, especially at Udayana University.

After Seruni's leadership shifted to students in 2020, the Seruni movement focused on the non-fulfillment of student rights, especially in the context of fighting sexual violence in universities.

Seruni aims to achieve gender equality and a better life for Indonesian people. Seruni understands that oppression of women is inseparable from oppression of the people so that Seruni takes the position of being part of the people's movement and fighting together for the interests of the people and advancing the interests of women. Seruni's basic principles are volunteerism and democracy.

As for their activities, Seruni Bali activities are based on the programs in each committee. The Education and Culture Committee provides education on a regular basis to Seruni members according to the level of understanding of members; The Economic Committee runs production for Seruni's financial supply; The Campaign and Mass Service Committee runs to investigate the situation and needs of the masses, and the Organizational Committee schedules regular meetings for Seruni's agenda.

Seruni Bali has also opened a complaint post for victims of sexual violence at Balinese universities with three methods, as follow: Fill out the complaint report via the link bit.ly/StopBungkam Call and/or WhatsApp +6282332531825, Meet directly with the Seruni party at the Seruni Secretariat and/or the Seruni party who will meet the victim.

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The method of reporting cases of sexual violence is adjusted to the comfort of the victim. In handling cases of sexual violence, Seruni provides: 1. Psychological counseling to help trauma victims recover, 2. Legal protection assistance, 3. And a Safe Home for survivors.

Afiya also briefly explained some causes of violence against women, in general view, as long as patriarchy is still the dominant system in our social reality, a sexist society that objectifies women will always exist. From the reading of cases of sexual violence that Seruni received, there are several factors that specifically cause sexual violence to occur: power relation, victim blaming, weak law, and lack of sexual education.

In the end, Afiya and Seruni Bali hope that Indonesian women can be empowered and empower each other, and work in justice because there is never a change alone, change is born from unity. Women should not be exclusive in their identity, we are inclusive for everyone. Don't be afraid to fight!

And if you are a woman and want to be a part of Seruni Bali, register yourself by filling out the form via the link bit.ly/FormPendaftaranSERUNI after which you must attend Seruni Organization Basic Education, and then you are ready!

By Nevy Widya Pangestika

16

I raise up my voice, not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.

We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.

Malala Yousafzai

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE

Sexual harassment whether at school, work, etc is about the harasser abusing power over the victim because of the victim’s gender, sexual harassment is not just about sex. sexual harassment happens everywhere, domestically or publically.

But what is sexual harassment? Do we all understand yet? Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct sexual nature that makes a person feel offended, humiliated, and/or intimidated

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ACCORDING TO ILO, SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMES IN MANY

Leering and staring,

FORMS

Suggestive common and jokes, Unwelcome touching, hugging or kissing, Unwanted invitations for sex, or persistant request to go on dates, Intrusive questions about another person’s private life and body, Unnecessary familiarity, Insults or taunts of a sexual nature, Sexual explicits images, posters, emails or messages, Accessing sexually explicit internet sites, Behaviour which would also be an offense under the criminal law

WHAT IS WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT? There are two types of workplace sexual harassment: hostile work environment and quid pro quo.

1. Hostile work environment, it can happen in two ways where someone at work makes you a target of sexually suggestive comments. The other form of hostile work environment is where the employers provide less favourable conditions based on gender (hiring procedures, hours, wages, promotions, work schedules and assignments, sick leaves and vacation, job evaluation and firing).

2. Quid pro quo is sexual harassment where supervisor or manager asks or demands sexual contact from you in return of employment. If you say no, but still felt pressured to have sexual contact because you were afraid of being punished or losing your job.

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WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE SEXUALLY HARASSED AT WORK? 1. Tell your harasser to stop. If you don’t feel safe and comfortable to tell your harasser to stop, make sure you do your best to make it clear to the harasser that what they are doing is unwelcome offensive behaviour.

2. Report it to the management. If your workplace has a sexual complaint procedure, then good, follow it. And try to make the complaint in writing, if possible have a trusted witness to be present.

3. Cooperate in the employer’s investigation of your complaint.

By Nevy Widya Pangestika 20

Have you watched Legally Blonde? For those of you who don’t know, Legally Blonde is a romantic and comedy movie released in 2001. Several scenes of this movie are also the inspirations for Ariana Grande’s music video titled Thank U Next. The main characters in this film include Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair), and Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davi)s).

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The plot of this movie does not only present romance but Elle’s struggle to break society’s stigma against girls who have blonde hair and love fashion. In the end, Elle Woods also managed to get her version of a happy ending. Also, there are not a few scenes that show us why girls should be solid and support each other.

Girls are always being compared and pitted against one another Warner Huntington III dumped Elle Woods and stated that she was not “the serious girl” who can support him while he wanted to continue the family law firm. This was the beginning of the competition between Elle Woods and Vivian Kensington (Warner’s fiancé) to win Warner’s heart. They were competing to be the best student in their major.

Vivian even kept knocking Elle down to show that she was better than Elle.

The other girls’ support is one of the keys to a girl’s success Elle’s decision to enter Harvard University is certainly opposed and even belittled by people. Elle, who is used to studying fashion and didn’t know much about law, had the support of her female friends to prepare for the LSAT exam and live her life as a law student.

Expecting recognition from people who don’t value you is just a waste of energy In the end, Elle and Vivian realized that they shouldn’t be fighting over an adoration from Warner. They recognized each other’s potential and have given up what makes them compete with each other. Elle’s motivation changed because she found her passion in the legal field.

Overall, the movie provides a relaxing and enjoyable story, especially for people who watch thrillers more often than romance like myself. Even so, the message implied in this movie is very meaningful. This is a recommended movie for those of you who are feeling down as it doesn’t stress you out but gives you motivation.

By Mening Lestari

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WOMEN'S VOICES Utami In my opinion, the solution to dealing with sexual violence against women and children is to provide physical and psychological support for victims of sexual violence, either in the form of protection or assistance and recovery. The important thing that we must understand is, sexual education is important to be carried out by various parties

Mening From my experience, most of the perpetrators have not received the same social sanctions as the victims. In addition to dealing with trauma, victims also have to face negative assumptions and 'jokes' that do not empathize. The most basic thing that needs to be done to deal with this in my opinion is one, namely empathy. Actively listens, responds well, and is able to put oneself in the other person's shoes.

Nona The government through the women's and children's protection service, which acts as a protector of this matter, must be more aggressive in helping if there are cases involving women and children. Assistance and consultation with psychologists is very important so that slowly the psychological burden or mental burden of victims of sexual violence can be reduced, although not completely.

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ONLINE GENDER BASED VIOLENCE: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Gender-Based Violence, based on the words we can already tell what it is. So, according to unhcr.org, Gender-Based Violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. The UNHCR emphasizes that the harmful act to an individual based on their gender is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power, and harmful norms. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious abuse of human rights and a life-threatening health and protection issue, as the era of the internet comes in, it appears to be Gender-Based Violence comes to the online platform as well. Just like real-life Gender-Based Violence, Online Gender-Based violence mostly happens on girls and women.

There are many forms of Gender-Based violence that women face worldwide, such as online harassment, online rape, cyberstalking, and more. The Internet has become an important part of human life and a woman’s inability to feel safe is a distress to her freedom and to her basic human rights. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of violence is getting higher. This problem is often overlooked in discussions of violence against women.

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With the idea of identification of Online Gender-Based Violence, Act Global’s team found a platform in Indonesia which concerns this issue, this advocation platform is called awaskbgo which basically means “beware of Online Gender-Based Violence”. In this advocation platform, users can find information about the law of Gender-Based Violence, what to do when we experience this thing, and more. Users also can share the experience of Online Gender-Based Violence.

Not only sharing and getting information but also the platform offers consultation and helping to report if the case happened. So far, according to their website, there are 1,385 total Online Gender-Based Violence cases that have happened in Indonesia.

Usually, victims of violence feel hesitant to report the case due to the stigmatization that they will get. This platform also has Instagram and YouTube that are very informative and educational. Act Global team hopes that this platform and the raising awareness about Online Gender-Based Violence between people will allow victims to feel safer to make a report and speak up about it.

By Nevy Widya Pangestika

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MY BODY MY CHOICE MY RIGHTS

be inspired

Melinda Gates is well known as the wife of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, not only that, she is also a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. Reading her book, The Moment of Lift has really increases my awareness and reflects on what many women have been suffering from. And here is why?

Family Planning, Maternal, and New born

“I think it’s great if women want to stay home. But it should be a choice, not something we do because we think we have no choice.”

Melinda believes that all women need access to contraceptives. According to her, this is just the beginning, while other approaches such as getting girls to school or letting women to work/have businesses would be essential to lift the women up. She writes “It took us years to learn that contraceptives are the greatest life-saving, poverty ending, womenempowering innovation ever created.”

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From this section of the book we can

Being able to control the size of the family

learn that many women suffer due to the

is good, but if they are still poor, their

lack of health care professional and also

children will have the same life unless they

cultural practices. During her visit in a

get education. Girl’s education effects can

health care centre in Malawi, she met

be transformative on health, empower-

women who lined up waiting to get

ment, economic advancement of women.

contraceptive injection, they would walk

Women who have higher education tend to

ten miles to the health clinic not knowing

delay the age of a marriage, have fewer

if the shot would be in stock when they

children, and have better access to

got there, so the clinic will offer them

contraceptive, it results in contributing to

other methods of contraceptives, such as

stabilization of population.

condom. But condoms are often looked down upon as it’s seen as a sign of

Child Marriage

unfaithfulness of the husband or vice

In India and Africa for example, girls

versa, the husbands often beat them up.

are forced into marriage at such a young

And in fact, they clinic did not have the

age, as young as 8, 10, or 11. It’s such a big

shot. An unplanned pregnancy can be

issue where young girls are even tricked

devastating for women who can’t afford to

into being married. “Why would you trick

feed the children, and who are too old or

a girl unless you knew you were breaking

young.

her heart?”, Melinda wrote. After the

Melinda shares her stories from travelling

and

talking

about

marriage, the girls have to leave their

family

village and reside with their new husbands

planning laid more violence women face:

and take on their lifelong household duties.

female genital mutilation, child marriage,

This makes their lives difficult. In India,

domestic violence, rape, unpaid labor and

where some of the bride’s families have to

sex work. Her stories of meeting these

pay dowries (even though it’s illegal), the

women are heart breaking but necessary to

younger the girl, the less educated, the

read.

lower dowry her family pays, the more

Girls Education

Family planning helps women and society, but unless the children get an education, they will also end up like their parents.

appealing she is to the family who receives her. They don’t want a girl with skills or power, they want an obedient servant. And if the dowry of the bride’s family is not enough, the husband’s family often abuses her.

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They don’t want a girl with skills or power, they want an obedient servant. And if the dowry of the bride’s family is not enough, the husband’s family often abuses her. Child marriage really does damage to the girls, families, and communities. In Indonesia, parents often get girls married earlier because girls are seen to be second class, they don’t need high education because their husband will provide for them.

Unpaid Labor Unpaid works mean work that is performed in the home like cooking, children care, cleaning, shopping, and other works done by family member who is not being paid. In the poorer countries, this is the reality of millions of women. On average, women spend more than twice than men to do unpaid works. It is paid work that will elevates women toward equality with men, give them independence, and power. Women are natural caregivers, so are men. If women take the work exclusively, men’s abilities in those areas are never developed. When men developed their nurturing abilities, it helps them to build a strong bond with their children.

Reading Melinda’s book left me speechless countless times. Even though I don’t experience what many girls and women have been suffering, as an Indonesian woman, I still feel the huge gender gap as Indonesian society is still highly patriarchal. In the US it still takes 257 years to gain gender equality. The Moment of Lift is full of tragedies and heartbreaking stories. Those girls and women have no choice for their lives, but reading it makes me reflect and grateful for the access to education that I get, therefore I decided that I want to speak up about women’s empowerment in whatever way that I can, so can you! If you are reading this article, you have the privilege of literacy, internet access, devices and you can share this message with the world, this is our duty to women and humanity!

By Nevy Widya Pangestika 29

Upon its publication in 2016 in South Korea, the novel had an "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" effect.

Propelling the feminist wave, and it's easy to see why. The story of the novel's commonplace nature, sexism, and misogyny have been seen so normal that we forget to question it.

To summarize the novel, it's about a psychiatric case study of a woman named Kim Ji Young. She has a dissociative disorder which she becomes every woman she knows from time to time. Her husband said, “Jiyoung become different people from time to time. Some of them were living, others were dead, all of the women she knew. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a joke or prank. Truly, flawlessly, completely, she becomes that person.”

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For instance, the novel’s story is not outstanding, it's full of misogyny that women face every day and it's so normalized in our society; different treatment of the male sibling, the policy of female students’ uniform, sexual harassment, and leaving a job to raise children.

Even though the setting takes place in South Korea, it resonated across cultures. These things commonly happen to women everywhere. And even though many women share Jiyoung’s fate, we have to question, “Is it possible for women to stay sane while they are living in a world that is full of insanity towards them?”

Kim Jiyoung has two siblings, one older sister, and one younger brother. Her parents raised her differently. Her parents never ask her brother to help with the cleaning and household duties and the reason is due to age, but obviously, we know that this is sex-based discrimination.

When she was harassed by her male classmate, it was also her to blame by her teacher and father, and the boys are always being tolerated. Her life doesn’t get easier in adulthood, at her workplace, she can’t even order food without mockery. The colleagues also install CCTV in the office’s toilet. When she married, she resigned from her job to raise the child.

Her husband is supportive and wants to help, but he can do nothing. Her husband's helplessness makes a point if a man can’t fight a man’s world, what about women?

Reading the novel or watching the movie should be a critical lesson for girls to learn.

At home: Jiyoung’s grandmother gives her brother a better portion of everything and never ask him to clean, at school: skirt has to be under the knees, at university: female students experience subordination even she is a better student, at the workplace: men have less workload which makes them in ease and can stay longer at the company and it is hard for women to get promotion as seen they are going to leave when they are married and having kids, and in her marriage, Jiyoung resigned from her job to take care of her child while her husband was unaffected.

Her story is that of every woman. She becomes the woman she knows, and the women she knows become her in the process. Their life seeps one into another. There is no magic way to solve the problem, but the novel is waking up more people to face the reality.

By Nevy Widya Pangestika 31

For many of us, it is very common to talk about male circumcision, in fact in Indonesia where the majority of people are Muslims, it is something that is celebrated. But have you ever heard about it from a female? Yes, female genital mutilation (FGM) is something that is still widely practiced, the WHO aspire to end FGM by 2030, and by doing so will have a ripple effect on the health, education, and economic advancement of girls and women, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said.

So what is female genital mutilation (FGM) exactly?

Female genital mutilation is an ancient procedure of cutting, scraping, piercing, or nicking of the genitals of young girls.

Female genital mutilation is primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East. However, female genital mutilation is a universal problem and is also being practice in several countries in Asia and Latin America. In Indonesia, around 60 million women or half women of Indonesia are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation.

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Female Genital Mutilation in Indonesia In some parts of Indonesia, female circumcision is still being practiced with the perception that it is a required act of faith. The Indonesian government tried to ban the practice in 2006, but the religious clerics released an edict as a response explaining that it was part of religious practice. The Indonesian Health Ministry released a regulation that allowed medical personnel to perform female genital cutting on young girls in 2010 with the argument that it is better to have a medical professional perform the procedure than risk the infection if it is performed by traditional circumcisers.

Nevertheless, female genital cutting medicalization can be more dangerous as the midwives often conduct actual cutting while traditional circumcisers are usually more symbolic acts of rubbing or scraping. Female circumcision in Indonesia is usually performed on babies. The majority of those who had undergone FGM could not remember it when asked as adult respondents.

The 2001-2002 Population Council Study shows that traditional FGM in Indonesia is limited to scraping, rubbing, and piercing. In contrast, in Africa, the practice frequently involves partial or total removal of the clitoris and stitching the narrow vaginal opening. FGM has been practiced for more than a thousand years, so it is impossible to end it by a single generation. The United Nations strives for its complete eradication by 2030 following the spirit of SDGs 5 (Gender Equality).

Based on the information on the UN website, since 2008, UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, leads the biggest global program to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation. The Joint Programme currently focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and also supports regional and global initiatives. Over the years, this partnership has seen significant achievements. For instance, more than 2.8 million people participated in public declarations of FGM elimination, and the number of communities establishing surveillance structures to track girls doubled and protected 213,774 girls from undergoing the practice.

Any form of female genital mutilation is unacceptable, nevertheless. That is done without the consent of the baby or little girl, without a clear medical purpose or religious mandate is enough to classify this act as a violation of human rights.

By Nevy Widya Pangestika

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#MAKEARTNOTFGM

In a world where power and choice are determined by gender, millions of girls are robbed of their childhoods, education, health, and aspirations every day by the harmful practices of a child, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM). In many communities, early marriage and FGM go hand-in-hand because they believe that cutting a girl increases her marriageability. Over 200 million women and girls alive today in 31 countries have undergone genital mutilation, although small-scale studies, media reports, and anecdotal evidence suggest FGM may be present in more than 90 countries.

In 2021, 4.16 million girls and women around the world are at risk of genital mutilation.

What’s more, because of COVID-19 disruptions, there could be as many as 2 million additional cases of FGM by 2030 that would otherwise have been averted. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is internationally recognized as a gross violation of human rights, a form of violence against women and girls, and a manifestation of gender inequality.

Social media today, is an extremely vital means of education and advocacy. By writing about FGM and sharing it with friends, we hope we will positively impact people and influence them not to consider it, and to join in the fight against FGM. If we must end FGM, we must work together, and we must act now. Be part of our online campaign, follow @makeartnotfgm on Instagram and share with the world how you can #MakeArtNotFGM 35

Sexual Violence in Bali

The news of sexual violence in the past two years has increased. During the Covid19 pandemic, the Bali Provincial Child Protection Organizing Commission (KPPAD) noted that cases of sexual violence against minors had increased. Based on KPPAD's records from the news during 2020, there were around 45 minors who were victims of sexual violence. Whereas in the previous year, it was recorded that around 28 minors were victims of sexual abuse.

Most of the perpetrators, in this case, are their closest people. The rest are new people known through social media. The average victim is in his teens, some are still in elementary school. This is very concerning, as these children should be able to enjoy their youth, but instead, they are given a deep trauma. Some of the main factors causing the high number of cases of sexual violence against children from year to year are due to power relations, where the perpetrator has rights over the victim's body.

Several other factors, namely the economic and psychological difficulties of parents or families, contribute to the lack of child supervision.

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TO

SEXUAL

VIOLENCE

Sexual violence in the university environment has also begun to emerge following the issuance of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Regulation Number 30 of 2021 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence. The Bali Legal Aid Institute (LBH) presented shocking data on sexual harassment cases on campus. There are 45 female students suspected of being victims of immoral acts, 42 of whom are Udayana University students and three of whom are Warmadewa University students.

The majority of the perpetrators are students, but there are also lecturers. Usually, this mode is done when students are doing thesis guidance. Apart from lecturers and students, the perpetrators also came from traders and construction workers who were in the campus area and the general public. The data on victims of sexual violence has been submitted to the campus. However, Udayana University has not taken any action, while Warmadewa University has issued the perpetrators of sexual violence. So far, some victims are still considering taking legal action. "There are various considerations. Starting from concerns in proving, fear of being reported back with a defamation offense to intimidation.

As a follow-up, KPPAD is currently coordinating with relevant parties such as the Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPT PPA) to assist. The education office needs to socialize sexual violence to children to prevent them from becoming victims. Where they must have the courage to fight and report if they experience sexual violence. In addition, it is necessary to guide parents about the dangers and impacts of sexual violence, including the perpetrators so that they do not repeat the same act.

By Kurnia Wardani M.J. 37

be inspired

Mengayu: a community that exists for women

"Mengayu is one of the communities in East Java's Jember district that was established in 2020 as a result of the Indonesian Women's Coalition (KPI) job training program in collaboration with the Job Training Center (BLK)."

WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF MENGAYU? Riza Nisriinaa, A law graduate student at the University of Jember who is currently studying to become an advocate, founded this community. Riza stated that she was involved in the Jember Community Legal Aid Institute (LBHM) and the Jember Branch of the Indonesian Women's Coalition (KPI) while still in college.

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Riza frequently met vulnerable women there, which is a term for people who have experienced domestic violence, violence in relationships, or have lost their jobs. They not only requested and required legal assistance, but they also required economic, social, and psychological assistance. Of the 14 women who participated in the KPI program, some of them were victims of domestic violence (KDRT), and violence in dating (KDP), they complained about financial difficulties.

Paying rent, children's education costs, and daily meals are just a few examples. It was because they lacked the confidence to start their own company. Those are what inspired her to establish Mengayu.

The Vision Restore vulnerable women's self-esteem and reduce their financial burden.

The Mission Providing Job Training and Creating Women-Friendly Workplaces Bring our vulnerable women (Partners) together with housewives / elderly women (Consumers) to talk, connect, and strengthen each other.

Currently, the Mengayu community's reach is limited in Jember, East Java. This community focuses on economic empowerment, but it does not rule out the possibility of future outreach.

Mengayu collaborated extensively with the Garwita Institute to provide psychological support to traumatized victims. Furthermore, the female victims, who were members of this community, received on-the-job training with the assistance of Salon Gaul Jember partners. This collaboration is carried out so that victims who already are Mengayu members can receive direct guidance from specialists. The victim's needs will be met through a customized assistance program, and each program will be evaluated. The mentoring program is carried out for an indefinite time because each victim has different traumas and healing abilities.

Mengayu has so far enjoyed the research, unlearn, and relearn process that they have devised. All of this, of course, is possible with the assistance and prayers of friends and relatives who have cared for and assisted this community.

The Mengayu community hopes that through the program that has been carried out, every woman who is a member of the Mengayu community will be financially and mentally stable in the future.

By Kurnia Wardani M.J.

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"She was powerful, not because she wasn't scared but because she went on so strongly despite the fear."

Atticus

A POETRY

THE DARKEST What do we expect with a family? loved, protected the family is supposed to be the place where love lays, but not for us he who is supposed to protect us but he hurt us he tore off that little body without embarrassing just for his satisfaction slam his soulmate who wants to protect her baby but none of us succeeded our wounds keep growing without the courage to defend he doesn't even care if we live or die all he cares about is his satisfaction we are so sick of this feeling dirty, feeling low, feeling used but not forever we are strong and can get out of this we will not be silent anymore

By Kurnia Wardani M.J. 41

SHE BUILDS PEACE