Mariana Amiruddin, the National Commission on Elimination of Violence against Women (KOMNAS Perempuan) commissioner, did a reflection on the election in 2019 that made women become victims. In 2019, she observed the election situation, especially the presidential election in Jakarta. It was chaotic and caused the fatality.
The political conflict went to private and public spaces. There was a couple that divorced because of different political views, and the woman was a victim. Politics led the public to humiliate and overthrow one another. The public followed their chosen candidate, including inside families or neighbors.
“This is dangerous because the people are the victims of the election. The public only understands that political parties have split into several camps, but are ready to defend their choices.” said Mariana Amiruddin in “Mewaspadai Potensi Kekerasan terhadap Perempuan dalam Pemilu 2024” – be aware of women violence in the election 2024 webinar on 5th February 2024.
Mariana saw this as ironic because the political elite found it possible to unite when they had the same interests.
“On the other hand, the public will still split into several camps even after the election”
Olivia Salempessy, vice chairman of KOMNAS Perempuan added that the election should pay attention to women’s vulnerability, such as physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and cyber violence. In 2019, there were intimidation and terror cases toward women candidates in Aceh and Eastern Nusa Tenggara. In South Sulawesi, a woman candidate was fired by a political party. On 2020, women candidates were attacked in Depok, Makassar, and South Tangerang; and hate rape comments with racism in Jakarta election 2017.
“In addition, women in conflict areas are more vulnerable before and after the election. The stronger religion and identity politicization also obstruct the mobility and participation of women in elections,” she said.
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The violence risk was strengthening as the president and local government elections occurred on the same day. In 2019, the violence came from Jakarta, but this year was unpredictable. It could happen everywhere.
“We need to think about the risk of the 2024 election. It potentially creates violence in the public and family. Social media debate moves to public areas with many hateful comments. Hoax narration bursts out and threatens national unity,” she added
Public Response and Movement: Elections are Violence, should they?
The violent acts in the 2024 election are physical abuse, psychological, and economic, based on women’s organization reports. In addition, there was structured and systematic violence and discrimination, such as a chaotic law system, marginalization toward women and minorities, etc. Public response with different acts and movements to it.
For example, women’s organization activists protested to the General Elections Commission (KPU) in May 8th, 2023. They forced KPU to revise KPU regulation No.10/2023 about women’s candidacy in the 2024 election. They considered that Article 8, paragraph 2, the 30% women’s quota, didn’t meet women’s representative. It was supported by Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the Indonesian president, who showed his tendency to support Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabumi Raka, his son, as presidential candidates. Jokowi didn’t show his integrity but used his power to campaign.
An exploitative authoritarian agenda was shown in regulation and law mechanism-making during the election. At the same time, it was proved that government was injustice and social justice impartiality. As a result, the public, including workers and professors, demanded justice in a government that abused democracy.
The Prayer of women and mother of enforced disappearance victim: Against leader who did human rights violations
Yet, women of human rights victims’ voices were invisible. Political situations with violence potentially threaten women the most with direct and indirect effects, such as violence on the closest person. Indonesia had been in that situation, but unfortunately, Indonesians never learned from it.
On 11th February 2024, three days before the election, it was voiced out by women wearing black clothes in front of the presidential palace. They prayed with the mother of the enforced disappearance victim in 1997/1998. The prayer was for Indonesia which was threatened to be controlled by a person who was involved in human rights violated.
Damais Hutabarat, the mother of Ucok Munandar Siahaan, an activist forced to disappear in 1998, read a short message and hope. Damais was active in the Kamisan Action. She came from Depok in a wheelchair to the Presidential Palace with her husband. They asked for state responsibility for Ucok Munandar Siahaan. She only had one hope: “I hope my son can go home,” but she passed away in 2023; Ucok was nowhere to be found, and the state didn’t give any response.
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Other participants continued to pray and expressed their hope. Their prayer was their resistance act to force the state to take responsibility, but they never took action to settle human rights violence cases.
“Dear God, we stand here to ask for your help. We have been praying for a long time; there were mothers and our friends who had to disappear. We are never lost hope but it hard” piece of prayer from participants.
Indonesia changed president several times, but no one has tried to settle human rights cases. Some victims or families had already given up, but most still strived to obtain justice. They only needed certainty for their children to return, whether they were alive or dead. In addition, they didn’t want to have a president who was involved in human rights violations acts.
“We are praying every day. Don’t let us lose hope”
