Sexual violence cases in higher education institutions have garnered global and national attention among academic communities. Since 2016, UGM has developed policies to prevent and handle sexual harassment.
This commitment was reinforced in 2019 with the launch of the Health Promoting University (HPU) program and the establishment of the Zero Tolerance Task Force on Violence, Bullying, and Harassment.
With the issuance of the Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 30 of 2021, UGM adjusted its internal policies accordingly, including forming the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (Satgas PPKS) on Sept. 3, 2022.
Currently, 1,675 PPKS Task Forces have been formed across 125 public universities, and only 57 percent of 4,000 private universities have established PPKS Task Forces.
However, raising awareness among the campus community regarding categories and classifications of sexual violence remains crucial, as many challenges and issues have been encountered.
In response to these concerns, UGM hosted a national conference titled “Sexual Violence in Universities: Investigating Root Cause Problems, Prevention, and Responses.”
It was held over two days on Wednesday and Thursday, Jul. 24-25, 2024, at UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM).
This national conference was made possible through the collaboration of several PPKS Task Forces from State Universities with Legal Entities (PTN-BH), including UGM, Hasanuddin University, Airlangga University, the Australia-Indonesia Partnership Program Towards an Inclusive Society (INKLUSI), the BaKTI Foundation, and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan).
The conference, divided into seminar and panel sessions, featured 100 papers from 154 participants and 58 non-panel attendees.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Amich Alhumami, the deputy for Human, Social, and Cultural Development at Bappenas, stated that human development is a central issue in Indonesia’s overall development.
“Productivity links sexual violence victims and development because if someone experiences sexual violence, they will suffer prolonged psychological and physical trauma. This will result in lost opportunities to grow into a complete and productive human being, especially if sexual violence occurs in a university, which should be a place for learning,” Dr. Alhumami said.
Dr. Alhumami praised the national conference as a commitment by universities to prevent and protect victims.
“With support from university leadership, the Task Forces have the energy to work, making them more progressive in fulfilling their roles and functions,” he concluded.
The Inspector General of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Chatarina Muliana, mentioned that revising Ministerial Regulation No. 30 of 2021 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education Institutions will strengthen the PPKS Task Forces at each university.
“The Task Forces will become permanent units within the university’s organizational structure, enabling them to develop work programs and budgeting effectively,” she explained.
Furthermore, she revealed that the Task Forces would later handle two other forms of violence—bullying and intolerance—alongside sexual violence, as these constitute the three major offenses in educational settings.
“Therefore, we hope that university leaders everywhere will strive to meet the needs of the Task Forces because their ability to perform their duties heavily depends on the commitment and policies of the universities. We are ready to facilitate the enhancement of competencies and capacities of all Task Force teams to create a healthy, safe, and comfortable campus environment free of sexual violence,” Dr. Muliana stated.
In her speech, UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia pointed out that universities are the second-highest setting for power relation imbalances, following military institutions, according to literature reviews.
“As educational institutions, campuses need to develop systems to prevent violence, including sexual violence, whether non-physical harassment, physical harassment, or online sexual violence,” said Rector Emilia.
Rector Emilia added that sexual violence in campus settings involves breaches of professional conduct.
The prevention and handling of violence, including sexual violence, require comprehensive cross-sectoral efforts.
As a medium for exchanging ideas and lessons learned on best practices, scientific discussion forums are part of the collective process of opening new perspectives to prevent and address sexual violence in the future.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Photographer: Firsto
Post-editor: Lintang