Women’s Empowerment Minister Urges Universities to Establish Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force

Minister of Women’s empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga. (Photo by: PR Setkab)

Minister of Women’s empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga urged universities in Indonesia to establish sexual violence prevention task force as previously mandated by Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim.

Bintang said that the establishment of the task force is an effort to speed up the implementation of Regulation of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Number 30 of 2021 on the prevention and handling of sexual violence at universities.

She also expressed hope that university as an educational institution can be an environment that is free from all acts of sexual violence and harassment.

“Sexual violence is an unspeakable crime that could mentally and physically affect the victims, and crush their future. We cannot tolerate any kind of sexual violence,” she said adding that sexual violence at universities can also impair the quality of education.

She went on to say that movement to prevent sexual violence should not only be promoted and adopted by the community at universities but also by all layers of society including the Government, mass organizations, religious figures, prominent figures, educational institutions, offices, as well as within the families.

The Minister also emphasized that all sides must put sexual violence prevention as the fundamental base in the fights against sexual crimes. In addition, stricter law enforcement is needed to bring justice to the victims and create deterrent effect for the abusers.

“We cannot tolerate sexual offenders,” she firmly said. (Ministry of Women’s empowerment and Child Protection PR/UN) (RAS/LW)