Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati has asked all parties, including the media, to side with women victims of violence at a press conference held to commemorate the Day of Anti-Violence Against Women, which is celebrated every November 25.

“I invite all parties and stakeholders from the central to the village government then law enforcement officers, academics and professionals, the business world, the community and no less important are the mass media to participate in this effort,” she said at the press conference accessed virtually from here on Thursday.

According to Darmawati, the media plays a crucial role in shaping the values of social life. The root of the problem of violence against women is the mindset of the people who do not uphold equality, she said.

She pointed out that violence against women is an iceberg phenomenon, meaning the actual number of cases could be greater than the cases reported or recorded so far.

Darmawati affirmed that reducing violence against women and children is one of the five priority issues that President Joko Widodo has tasked her ministry with.

To achieve this, she said the ministry is focusing on five actions, namely prevention, improving reporting systems and complaints services, reforming case management, implementing law enforcement processes that provide a deterrent effect, and providing assistance services as well as social rehabilitation and social reintegration.

The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection is also functioning as a provider of final referral services for women and children victims of violence who need special protection and coordination at the national and international level through the issuance of Presidential Regulation Number 65 of 2020 on the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

Darmawati also urged the media to take part in promotive and preventive efforts to curb violence against women, for example, by producing content with gender and gender transformative approaches.

“We also ask the media to side with the survivors by not distributing photos or other personal identities and not leading opinions that are not helpful to survivors,” she stressed.

Source: Antara News