Policies to address Covid-19 globally have yet to look at the specific needs of women victims of violence. This is evidenced by the steep rise in cases of violence against in a number of countries. In Indonesia, the Large-Scale Social Distancing (PSBB) policy is certain to increase women’s vulnerability to abuse. It is difficult for women to escape violent conditions in the home, they are not free to meet with friends, talk to counsellors or seek help. Furthermore, job losses and loss of income caused by Covid-19 have resulted in many women losing their negotiating position with the perpetrators of violence.
Organizations providing services have also noticed changes since the global pandemic struck. Now they receive requests for help via telephone and email, something that will impact on the number of cases reported as this will be dependent on access to communications and funding available for the duration of the PSBB. In addition, the implementation of the PSBB has reduced the capacity of service providers to provide legal aid and psychological support.
In response to these changes, Indonesia for Humanity (IKa), in partnership with the National Commission for Women held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) under the umbrella of Pundi Perempuan with the theme, “Responding to the Impact of Covid-19 on Women Victims of Violence Together with Service Providers and Women Crisis Centers,” which was attended by 23 participants from 19 organizations that provide online services.
The FGD was opened by IKa’s Executive Director, Maria Anik Tunjung. In her welcoming remarks, she informed the group that the aim of the FGD was to map the needs of organizations that provide services and their response to the Covide-19 pandemic, and provide a basis on which to undertake fundraising activities during the pandemic. The National Commission for Women has already disseminated a questionnaire in order to ascertain the impact of Covid-19 on the provision of services to women victims of violence. This data will be used by the National Commission for Women to make recommendations in order to enable these organizations to carry out their activities.
The FGD was split up into four session and moderated by a representative from the National Commission for Women, Christina Yulita. A number of issues were identified, including: 1) every organization needs to maximize its online, email and Whatsapp services, 2) nearly all organizations provide online support, and only the most serious cases are handled in person, in line with health and safety protocols, 3) cases most frequently reported involve domestic violence, and 4) online consultation is not as effective as meeting in person
The FGD was closed with a discussion to identify organizational strategies and needs in order to continue providing support during the pandemic. It is hoped that the findings of the FGD will provide a foundation to better support service provision for women victims of violence during the pandemic.