Sexual violence and gender inequality continue to be significant challenges for women in various sectors, including academia.
Campuses, which should be environments for learning and personal development, often turn into places where discriminatory practices, gender stereotypes, and sexual violence prevail.
Therefore, it is essential for academic communities to create environments that promote the mental and social well-being of all individuals.
This message was emphasized during a seminar, “Creating Safe Spaces: Safe Academics and Safe Workplaces for Gender Equality,” held on Monday (Apr. 21) at the IFI Yogyakarta Auditorium.
The event was organized by the UGM Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (Satgas PPKS UGM) in collaboration with Institut Français Indonesia (IFI).
Speakers included Dr. Gisèle Szczyglak from WLC Partners, a Paris-based ethics and organizational transformation expert; Professor Yayi Suryo Prabandari, Head of Satgas PPKS UGM; and Dr. Diah Kusumaningrum, a lecturer from the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM).
In his remarks, IFI Director François Dabin highlighted Kartini’s legacy as a pioneer of women’s empowerment in Indonesia. He emphasized that fighting for women’s rights is key to continuing Kartini’s spirit in the modern era.
“Women play a central role in building a just and balanced society. At IFI, gender equality and feminism remain core priorities in our cultural programs,” he stated.
Professor Prabandari discussed strategies for making campuses a competitive environment that prioritizes safety and well-being, using UGM and Satgas PPKS UGM’s actions as examples.
She stressed the importance of viewing the campus as a second home. Here, all academic community members can be physically, mentally, and socially healthy.
“Campuses serve as learning environments for students and workplaces for lecturers and staff. It is crucial to create environments that support the mental and social health of every individual,” said the professor.
She added that Satgas PPKS UGM was established as a systematic effort to create safe spaces within academic settings while also providing rapid and appropriate responses to cases of sexual violence.
“We offer integrated support for survivors, including medical services, psychological counseling, legal assistance, identity protection, and post-incident recovery. Every step is taken with a human-centered, dialogue-based approach, considering the ethics and comfort of all parties involved,” she explained.
UGM International Relations lecturer Dr. Diah Kusumaningrum emphasized the need to shift from gender equality to gender justice in discourses of emancipation and women’s empowerment.
According to Dr. Kusumaningrum, the notion of emancipation often becomes trapped in binary perspectives between men and women or masculine and feminine.
“Stereotypes around color and behavior are formed from a young age. As a result, the burden of the emancipation struggle often falls disproportionately on young women. Even the orientation of emancipation tends to center around male or masculine standards,” she said.
Dr. Kusumaningrum also noted that cultural, religious, and social myths pose significant challenges to gender discourse.
Some reject the notion of gender justice by claiming it is “not part of our culture,” “a Western concept,” “against nature,” or even “a sin according to religion.” Therefore, she argued that these myths can be dismantled through community work and experience-based education.
“Gender is not introduced as a foreign concept, but as a lens to understand daily experiences that often go unnoticed because they are deemed normal,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Szczyglak presented various collective and personal approaches to enabling women to reach top leadership positions in both public and private sectors across different countries.
In her presentation, she stated that women in leadership roles are often perceived as less favorable than men and frequently feel unaccepted in existing social structures.
“It is crucial to build organizations and workplaces that are safe and conducive to women’s personal and professional lives. We must also celebrate the lives and struggles of the women present here. Their continued efforts amid challenges are living proof that equality has yet to be fully achieved,” she said.
The discussion continued with an interactive Q&A session and a screening of the documentary film Une Famille by French novelist and filmmaker Christine Angot.
Through this seminar, IFI and UGM aim to strengthen the synergy between educational institutions and society in creating truly safe and equal spaces for all.
Kartini’s spirit was invoked to inspire courage, solidarity, and cross-boundary collaboration in fostering gender justice in Indonesia.
Author: Lintang Andwyna
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Donnie