Indonesia

Indonesia: The Other Face of the Helsinki Peace Process, Aceh 10 Years Later

MARJAANA JAUHOLA / Academy of Finland Research Fellow, University of Helsinki // August 8th, 2015

The 15th of August marks the ten-year anniversary of the signature ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Government of Indonesia and Aceh independe

Indonesia's Aceh bans women from nightspots after 11pm

10 Jun 2015

The capital of Indonesia's Aceh province has imposed a partial curfew for women that it says will reduce sexual violence but which critics say is discriminatory.

Internet cafes, tourist sites, sports facilities and entertainment venues have been instructed to refuse service to women after 11pm unless they are accompanied by a husband or male family member.

‘It’s a Good Thing’: Military Chief on Virginity Testing of Female Recruits

Jakarta, May 16, 2015

The commander of Indonesia’s armed forces believes that invasive virginity tests for female recruits are a good thing and the only way to gauge the women’s morality.

Aceh Prepares to Enforce Broader Sharia Criminal Code, With Stiffer Penalties

Updated at 10:40 a.m. ET on 2015-04-30

Sharia police in Indonesia’s westernmost province, Aceh, have begun educating the public about a broadening of the Islamic penal code set to go into effect in October this year.

Behaviors punishable under the new regulations – known as Qanun Jinayat – include adultery, rape, sexual harassment, homosexual acts, and falsely accusing others of adultery.

Indonesia's highest Islamic clerical body issues fatwa proposing death penalty for people caught having gay sex

Indonesia's most prominent Islamic clerical body has issued a fatwa proposing a host of punishments for

Indonesia lawmakers drop plan for schoolgirl virginity tests after uproar

By Alisa Tang

11th February 2015, BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Indonesian officials have dropped a plan to require female students to pass virginity tests in order to graduate from high school and apologised after sparking a public outcry, human rights campaigners said.

Transgender women find a safe place to practice their faith in Indonesia

On a recent Sunday afternoon, a group of women lay out books, mats and glasses of hot tea on a shady veranda. It’s time for Arabic class at Pondok Pesantren Waria, an Islamic school in the Indonesian town of Yogyakarta.

Women and Conflict in Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelago country with 240 million people spread in more than 13,000 islands, living in 3 time zones, with 34 provinces and hundreds of districts/cities. It is one of the largest social media users especially among youth, not only middle-class, but also grass-roots particularly migrant workers. Known as a prominent organization founded by young women’s activists, which have been working for almost two decades, the Institute understands that combating human trafficking in a majority Muslim population country (with Christian, Catholic, Budhist, and Hindu least than 9 percent of population) will touch sensitive issues such as moral, cultural, and religious, not to mention patriarchal mindset from the government officials, parliament members, and also media, making the efforts face strong resistances and difficulties, and even threats. Some of NGOs released monitoring report on conflict showing conflict is still remains as problem. West Java is one of the highest rank province potentially effect by conflict.

Aceh Rape Victim to Be Caned, Shariah Official Insists

A woman in Aceh who was gang raped last week after being accused of having extramarital sex now faces the indignity of a public caning for the original offense.

Indonesia: Female students may be forced to undergo 'virginity tests'

A plan to make female high school students undergo mandatory virginity tests has been met with outrage from activists, who argue that it discriminates against women and violates their human rights.