It is violence when it causes physical, psychological, sexual suffering and abandonment. How does violence happen? There is social cultural aspect involved in it. If somebody experiences violence, then it is considered a flaw, and therefore should be hidden, and not reported. Another example is when a child is about to get married, particularly girls, there is a message from parents, that the child should always keep whatever happens in her household to herself. It would be a disgrace if she tells others about it. So when violence happens, the victim does not dare to open up.
Violence is often a family disgrace, not to be spoken about outside. Women and children are vulnerable to violence, because they are subordinate, and weak.
In the family planning program, In the Five Women Deeds, “Women earn additional income” is not taught. This only indicates that the State realises that children are vulnerable, because they belong to their parents, because they are assets. Hence, violence is considered a way of disciplining children. If any child experiences such injustices, that means there is a gender imbalance. If there is a victim, then it means there is a power relations.
This is the message from the resource person, Haryati Panca Putri or Putri, from Yayasan Yaphi during a Gender, Reproductive Health and Prevention of Sexual Violence Training conducted by Indonesian Schizophrenia Aware Community or Komuntas Peduli Skizofrenia Indonesia (KPSI) Solo Raya supported by GOOD Program, at Hotel Assalam Syariah on Sunday 26/1.
Putri talks about gender, and sex by presenting a short (8 minutes) animated film from Czechoslovakia entitled “The Impossible Dream.”
A number of participants are from KPSA Solo Raya, Mother Hope Indonesia (MHI), Bipolar Care Indonesia (BCI), and policy stakeholders such as Productivity and Vocational Training Bureau or Balai Pelatihan Vokasi dan Produktivitas (BPVP), Centre for Disability and Inclusive Education Services or Pusat Layanan Disabilitas dan Pendidikan Inklusif (PLDPI) express their views on the film.
“The Impossible Dream” tells of a family – father, mother, and their children including a baby. There is gender imbalance against the mother and the girl in the family on daily life as evidenced by their work load. The mother takes care of all housework, and work in a garment industry. The father sits around once he gets home from work, not doing any housework, while the girl helps her mother clean the house, prepare food, while the boy does the opposite.
Putri explains that gender is a character and attitude constructed socially and culturally. Gender is different in different community groups and it is generally dynamic and changes with time. Sex, on the other hand, is a biological factor such as anatomy, physiology, genetics and hormon, and is fixed.
Putri opens the training and presenting a short film “The Impossible Dream” and explaining about sex and gender through interactive explanation. Putri also closes the training by presenting another short film, this time a product advertisement. This film depicts how a women’s double burden – as a wife and a mother – is truly heavy and if this continue, it may destabilize the husband-wife relationship. It may not be easy to share the double burden at the beginning when the gender balance is achieved, but a husband can definitely do household chores, for example cooking.
A number of participants say that sex and gender are new learning from them. Iffah, for example, says that they are good lessons and knowledge because before she only knew sex - male and female. This opens up her horizon that there is social roles and gender balance in this world.
Health and Reproductive Rights and Human Rights for People with Disability
Cited from solidernews.com, Reproductive Health Right is not in the tidak Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), but it is articulated in Law No. 36 Year 2009 on Health. Yet, the CRPD includes right to be protected from all forms of exploitation, violence and harassment including a variety of gender aspects from such acts in and outside of the home (Article 16 Point 1).
The CRPD also contains right to marriage and to form a family based on free and full consent of the couple (article 23 letter A). Article 23 point 3 of the CRPD mentions also that with a view to realizing these rights, and to prevent concealment, abandonment, neglect and segregation of children with disabilities, States Parties shall undertake to provide early and comprehensive information, services and support to children with disabilities and their families. The State has the obligation to provide early and comprehensive information, services and supports to children with disability and their family.
Reproductive health includes right to life, right to be free of pregnancy-related death risk, right to obtain reproductive services using safe and up-to-date technology, right not to be forced into marriage at an early age, and right to make decisions regarding sexual and reproductive activities without force.
Participants from KPSI, a number of mental health communities, and policy stakeholders find the subsequent sessions with resource people and facilitators from Yayasan YAPHI very interesting. The session uses presentation, brainstorming and songs, as evidenced by the second resource person, Dorkas Febria, who teaches children how to avoid sexual violence through songs and handclapping.
Dorkas explains the terminology for reproductive health – including physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing and social wellbeing as a whole, and not just the absence of diseases and disability, as the term encompasses all aspects related to the reproductive system, function and processes (source: Government regulation No. 61 Year 2014 on reproductive Health). Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights are rights of every individuals to make a decision about their individual sexual and reproductive activities without discrimination, force and violence.
Dorkas highlights a number of important points, including how parents or individual with awareness about reproductive health should avoid normalising behaviours that are deemed normal such as: bathing a child outside rather than in a bathroom, and changing diapers in front of people. It is also about how parents and individuals normalise things that are considered taboo such as by calling sex organ using another term, for example by using “tofu” as a reference for “vagina,” and “bird” as a reference for “penis.”
Prevention of Sexual Violence
In community culture, a fight or violence by a family member is a disgrace that must be hidden, and this indirectly perpetuates violence against women, children and people with disability. Women, children, and people with disability are vulnerable as victims of violence.
Then how to prevent that from happening? By understanding equality and apply that on daily life of the family, and spread the information as much as possible to other family members, and to everyone, regarding equality and human rights. The resource person and facilitator, Dunung Sukocowati then describes a number of sexual violence cases that happen to people with mental and hearing disability.
Dunung also introduces Law on Sexual Violence Crimes (UU TPKS) by pointing out the sanctions and punishment for the perpetrators.
