“This novel breaks the stereotype that violence only happens to the lower classes, to those who are uneducated. Asmara shows that this is not the case,” said Ayu Utami, author of the novels Saman and Larung during the launch and discussion of Switched Off by Hotma Abigail Sirait in Jakarta, on Thursday (20/02/2020).
Switched Off explicitly raises the issue of violence against women in abusive relationships. Asmara, as the main protagonist, is portrayed as a victim of violence: verbal, physical and, eventually, financial abuse.
The event was opened with a short introduction by Hotma Abigail Sirait, the author, followed by welcoming remarks by Maria Anik Tunjung, Executive Director of Indonesia for Humanity (IKa), the organization that manages Pundi Perempuan. In order to deepen knowledge and experience of the audience about cases of violence against women, the book launch invited a number of expert speakers including Ayu Utami (novelist), Vitria Lazzarini Latief (Psychologist), and Yuniyanti Chuzaifah (former Head of the National Commission for Women). Discussion was moderated by Ayu Diah Pasha, a popular Indonesian actor.
Switched Off tells of one of the very many cases of violence against women that are perpetrated in Indonesia. According to the National Commission Against Violence Against Women’s 2019 Annual Report, of the 13,568 cases of violence against women recorded, 9,637 took place in the domestic sphere (71%). Of this figure, 2,073 cases were perpetrated by a boyfriend against his girlfriend and 5,114 by a husband against his wife.
“Switched Off tries to show the initial stages of the vicious circle of violence that women can find themselves in within the domestic setting. If Asmara goes ahead with her wedding, she will be on the receiving end of increasing levels of violence, particularly if Rico, her fiancé, expects her to quit her job. Why increasingly bad? Because in the end Asmara will be dependent on Rico, and Rico will be free to do what he likes to Asmara,” continued Abigail with passion.
Through this novel we are invited to understand the psychological complexity of victims of violence, how they reject the knowledge that their partner is a perpetrator of violence, how the victims believe that one day the perpetrators will change, that just a little patience is needed, and how the victim doesn’t want anyone else to know that their partner is violent.
This understanding is important in order that we know how to react if someone close to us is a victim of violence. According to Vitria Lazzarini Latief, if you suspect that someone close to you is experiencing violence, “you can confirm your suspicions by asking them about it in a non-judgemental way. At least you can give the victim the opportunity to talk about her problems.”
According to Maria Anik Tunjung, once the victim has confided in you, it is important to support them so that they can face their problem and be free from the trauma that they have been experiencing at the hand of their partner.
“Providing the victim of violence with access to rehabilitation from the trauma they have experienced is important. As a resource organization, IKa pushes relevant agencies to provide support to organizations that work on issues of violence against women, such as Women Crisis Centers,” said Anik.
Together with the National Commission for Women, which initiated the establishment of Pundi Perempuan, Ika raises, manages and distributes diverse resources to support women victims of violence, including providing funding to organizations that focus on providing services to women victims of violence in Indonesia.
In addition to addressing the issue of violence within the context of a dating couple, Abigail also intends to contribute to supporting women victims of violence by donating profits from the sale of Switched Off to Pundi Perempuan.