DPR Announces Progress of Crucial Sexual Violence Bill

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) Religious and Social Affairs Commission Deputy Marwan Dasopang announced that the discussion on sexual violence eradication bill (RUU-PKS) will be held next week.

“The work committee meeting is entering the discussion on the inventory of problems,” said Marwan on Thursday, March 7.

He assures that the DPR is committed to passing the bill into Law before the 2014-2019 administration is replaced in September but is skeptical to complete the bill before the 2019 general election on April 17.

Furthermore, Marwan regrets the existence of numerous speculations among members of the public that accuse the bill of granting more freedom to minorities consisting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups.

Read: Women's Commission Chair: This is a Matter of Law, Not Religion

He also regrets that DPR’s Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction had voiced concern over the same misguided view.

What legislators are actually aiming, according to him, is to definitively define sexual violence, which is feared to have double meanings. On the fears of creating multiple interpretations, he said that this is anticipated by other following Articles that better convey the bill’s intentions.

The RUU-PKS was initiated by the DPR and submitted in 2017 before it was included in the 2018 national legislation program. This bill has yet been passed into law despite members of the public voicing the urgency to pass the bill.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) had even declared a national emergency over sexual violence upon the commemoration of the International Women’s Day on March 8 with 5,509 reported cases of sexual violence.

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