http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/14/imo-view-stop-gender-biased-regulation.html
The year of 2012 closed with heinous crimes against women. It again underlined that violence against women continued to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world, including Indonesia.
A 23 year old medical student in New Delhi was brutally gang-raped on a moving public bus in front of her boyfriend, then thrown semi-naked on the road to die . A few weeks later, she died due her massive internal injuries after being savagely beaten during the rape. Slow response by authorities marked by patriarchal system had incited widespread outrage led into riots throughout the city. This incident reminded us that patriarchal system elaborating the oppression of women, failed to protect women against violence in public places.
Shortly after, I watched the news of the tragic end of an eleven year old girl. Previously, she was treated under intensive care unit (ICU) at Persahabatan Hospital, East Jakarta, due to unabated seizures on Saturday. While she was administered medication to cure the seizure, doctors found vaginal and rectal wounds on the fifth-grade student. It was suspected that she suffered sexual assaults prior to her deteriorating condition. Her injuries were suspected to have caused brain infection leading to her death. Again, it was another failure on how family and the society as a whole failed to protect women against violence by sexual predators.
Afterward, I read on the news that Aceh, the only province that followed Sharia (Islamic Law) would soon issue regulation banning women passengers to sit straddling in motorbikes. The Major of Lhokseumawe said the regulation was aimed to save people's "morals and behaviors." Further, he elaborated that straddling the bike seat violated Islamic values.
I was enraged. It was way beyond my sane understanding. It was the most outrageous and bizarre 'joke' I've heard in the beginning of 2013. How come the ways we sit on motorcycles determine the morality of men! It also meant women were not allowed to drive motorcycles! How could we drive if the law forbad us to straddle! I see no common sense in this upcoming law!
I am a woman and a Muslim. I always sit "side-saddle" when I take ojek (motorcycle taxi) for convenience reason. But I sit straddling while driving my motorbike! I can assure you that the way I sit doesn't cause moral decadence of my neighbors or viewers! I don't read any such regulation either in the Holy Book or Hadist.
The law is discriminatory and has a gender bias. It is formulated by patriarchal regulators and systems that always see women as seed of 'evil.' Thus, they need to put a leash on us like we are some sort of animals! Gee, sometimes I just don’t understand the way ‘civilized’ men think!
If the central government ever passed the proposed regulation, our legal pendulum would swing to yet another extreme. Gender bias has run rampant in our court system. It took many painful years for our legal systems to recognize women as victim of domestic violence. Women still have long way to go fighting for equality in front of the law.
Instead of inventing such ludicrous set of rules, the authority should develop laws and regulations that could ensure and safeguard the protection of women against heinous crimes of raping and beating, also discrimination. Men should respect women the way they respect their mothers, sisters or wives. The laws accordingly should be free from prejudice and gender-biased.
The year of 2012 closed with heinous crimes against women. It again underlined that violence against women continued to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world, including Indonesia.
A 23 year old medical student in New Delhi was brutally gang-raped on a moving public bus in front of her boyfriend, then thrown semi-naked on the road to die . A few weeks later, she died due her massive internal injuries after being savagely beaten during the rape. Slow response by authorities marked by patriarchal system had incited widespread outrage led into riots throughout the city. This incident reminded us that patriarchal system elaborating the oppression of women, failed to protect women against violence in public places.
Shortly after, I watched the news of the tragic end of an eleven year old girl. Previously, she was treated under intensive care unit (ICU) at Persahabatan Hospital, East Jakarta, due to unabated seizures on Saturday. While she was administered medication to cure the seizure, doctors found vaginal and rectal wounds on the fifth-grade student. It was suspected that she suffered sexual assaults prior to her deteriorating condition. Her injuries were suspected to have caused brain infection leading to her death. Again, it was another failure on how family and the society as a whole failed to protect women against violence by sexual predators.
Afterward, I read on the news that Aceh, the only province that followed Sharia (Islamic Law) would soon issue regulation banning women passengers to sit straddling in motorbikes. The Major of Lhokseumawe said the regulation was aimed to save people's "morals and behaviors." Further, he elaborated that straddling the bike seat violated Islamic values.
I was enraged. It was way beyond my sane understanding. It was the most outrageous and bizarre 'joke' I've heard in the beginning of 2013. How come the ways we sit on motorcycles determine the morality of men! It also meant women were not allowed to drive motorcycles! How could we drive if the law forbad us to straddle! I see no common sense in this upcoming law!
I am a woman and a Muslim. I always sit "side-saddle" when I take ojek (motorcycle taxi) for convenience reason. But I sit straddling while driving my motorbike! I can assure you that the way I sit doesn't cause moral decadence of my neighbors or viewers! I don't read any such regulation either in the Holy Book or Hadist.
The law is discriminatory and has a gender bias. It is formulated by patriarchal regulators and systems that always see women as seed of 'evil.' Thus, they need to put a leash on us like we are some sort of animals! Gee, sometimes I just don’t understand the way ‘civilized’ men think!
If the central government ever passed the proposed regulation, our legal pendulum would swing to yet another extreme. Gender bias has run rampant in our court system. It took many painful years for our legal systems to recognize women as victim of domestic violence. Women still have long way to go fighting for equality in front of the law.
Instead of inventing such ludicrous set of rules, the authority should develop laws and regulations that could ensure and safeguard the protection of women against heinous crimes of raping and beating, also discrimination. Men should respect women the way they respect their mothers, sisters or wives. The laws accordingly should be free from prejudice and gender-biased.
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