Indonesia passes bill outlawing sexual abuse and forced marriage

by David Schakarov

Indonesia has passed legislation that for the first time criminalizes nine forms of sexual violence, including physical and verbal assault, harassment, forced sterilization, and exploitation, according to The Guardian.

The new law includes 15-year prison sentences for sexual exploitation, nine years for forced marriage, and four years for circulating non-consensual sexual content. It also stipulates that a court must compel convicted abusers to pay compensation to victims, who must also be offered counseling. This new legislation is crucial to combatting rising rates of violence against women in Indonesia as the National Commission on Violence Against Women (known as Komnas Perempuan) reported 338,496 cases in 2021 – up from 220,000 in 2020.

Overall, the law is a step in the right direction in terms of promoting a socially just and equitable society that does not tolerate and normalize domestic violence.