Journey of Give Back Sale

Give Back Sale is more than just a fundraising activity. It has become a symbol of unity, compassion, and resilience. From its humble beginning in 2016, Give Back Sale has grown into a force for change. To date, we have successfully organized nine offline Give Back Sale events.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted to the restrictions by transforming the Give Back Sale into an online fundraising event. From 2020 to 2022, we successfully held 12 online Give Back Sale events. Through live sales on IKa’s Facebook page, we engaged with viewers and provided an opportunity for donors from other cities to participate and support the cause.

In addition to the online Give Back Sale events, we established a virtual shop on Instagram, providing another avenue to promote and sell preloved items. This digital platform allowed us to reach a wider audience and extend our support to women victims of violence beyond the physical confines of our offline events.

For the last three years, Give Back Sale, both online and offline, managed to raise Rp262.850.670 of funds.

Sources of Give Back Sale Preloved Goods

Through the collective efforts of generous donors, Give Back Sale aims to support the Women’s Crisis Centers in their mission to provide legal aid and psycho-social recovery to these brave women.

Give Back Sale is an opportunity for individuals, communities, and corporates to come together and demonstrate their commitment to empowering women and building hope. We value every contribution, no matter how small, as each donation holds the power to transform lives and create a positive impact.

We are grateful for the support and involvement of local communities, such as the religious community in Jakarta, Lajnah Imailah, who embraced our cause. In addition to the community contributions, we have also received valuable donations from renowned companies such as The Body Shop, Blibli.com, and TLScontact. Their compassion and dedication to making a difference have made a significant impact on the success of the Give Back Sale.

Voluntarism Involvement

We are also fortunate to have the invaluable support of dedicated volunteers who form the backbone of Give Back Sale. These volunteers are part of our organization’s Komunitas Penggalang, or Community of Resource-raisers, and come from diverse backgrounds such as women and children activists, students, stay-at-home mothers, and many others. Their efforts behind the scenes are crucial in creating an organized and smoothly run fundraising event. They work tirelessly to ensure that every donated item is carefully evaluated, categorized, and priced, ensuring that donors can find quality preloved items while supporting a worthy cause.

Executing Give Back Sale

Give Back Sale takes place over three days at Ke:kini ruang bersama, located in Menteng, Central Jakarta. This vibrant provides a welcoming environment for donors.

Give Back Sale attracts a diverse range of donors. However, the majority of our participants are women aged 25 to 45 years old. This enthusiastic demographic reflects the commitment of women to empower each other and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.

At Give Back Sale, we strongly believe in supporting women empowerment and entrepreneurship. As part of our commitment, we invite women entrepreneurs who offer goods or services to showcase and sell their products at our event. This collaboration not only provides a platform for them to grow their businesses but also strengthens the network of women empowerment supporters. Some examples of women entrepreneurs who have participated in Give Back Sale include tarot reading, beauty class, and yoga class.

Maximizing Impact: Reducing Waste and Empowering Communities

After the execution of the Give Back Sale, we often find that there are some leftover preloved items that have not been sold. To ensure these items are not wasted, we have implemented two approaches to reduce or eliminate them.

The first approach is through donations or handing over the items to other organizations that conduct similar events like Give Back Sale. This not only benefits the organizations by providing them with inventory for their events but also contributes to the overall goal of supporting various causes and initiatives of civil society organizations.

The second approach involves giving the leftover items to disadvantaged individuals or communities in the vicinity of the Give Back Sale location. This extends the lifespan of the items and helps other communities.

Through these initiatives, we demonstrate our dedication to responsible and thoughtful resource management. Together, we can make a difference by giving back to the community and promoting a culture of compassion and support.

Why Zakat Matters: Providing Relief and Empowerment to Women Survivors of Sexual Violence

Indonesia for Humanity (IKa) collaborates with Mubadalah.id, Pusat Studi Islam Perempuan dan Pembangunan (PSIPP) at ITB Ahmad Dahlan, Swara Rahima, and the Urgent Action Fund, Asia & Pacific (UAF AnP) to campaign for women victims of violence being among the groups eligible to receive zakat.

For zakat payments for women victims of violence, please access the information here.

This article is written by Mubadalah.id in Indonesian and can be accessed through this link.

Given the dire condition of female victims of gender-based violence, donating zakat could serve as a crucial solution to aid these women.

On Monday, March 20, 2023, Mubadalah.id collaborated with the ITB Ahmad Dahlan Center for Islamic Studies, Women, and Development (PSIPP), Swara Rahima, and Indonesia untuk Kemanusiaan (IKa) to organize a webinar titled “Ramadan 2023, Zakat, Peduli Perempuan Korban Kekerasan”. This event served as one of the campaigns in a series of zakat fundraising efforts aimed at supporting victims of sexual violence during Ramadan month.

As stated in the committee’s opening remarks, the purpose of this webinar was indeed to raise public awareness about the importance of zakat for women victims of violence and to explore how zakat can be utilized to provide support, attention, and assistance to women who have experienced violence.

As noted in the 2022 Annual Report by the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), there were 457,895 cases of violence against women in Indonesia. These types of violence ranged from sexual, physical, and psychological violence to economic neglect, human trafficking, exploitation, bullying, and more.

Even in several studies, it has been revealed that many women victims of violence receive minimal support and have limited access to protection. As a result, they become extremely vulnerable, experiencing multiple layers of violence.

In her article titled “Ramadan Momentum: Promoting Zakat for Victims of Sexual Violence”, Yulianti Muthmainnah mentions that the fate of women victims of violence is still very concerning. They suffer permanent damage to their reproductive organs, decaying uterus, physical wounds that do not heal, disabilities, prolonged stress, and trauma.

Even worse, many of them end up dying due to depression. To make matters worse, the state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) refuses to cover the cost of treatment and recovery for sexual violence victims, claiming that what they experience does not fall under the category of ‘illnesses covered by BPJS Kesehatan’.

Given the dire condition of female victims of gender-based violence, donating zakat could serve as a crucial solution to aid these women.

Understanding Zakat

In her book “Zakat for Victims of Violence against Women and Children”, Yulianti Muthmainnah states that the term zakat linguistically means blessing, purity, goodness, growth, and increase. By paying zakat, it is hoped that one’s wealth and soul will become purified and their livelihood will prosper.

Zakat, a form of religious charity in Islam, serves as a social act of worship that hones sensitivity and concern for fellow human beings. It aims to alleviate hunger, poverty, and economic and social deprivation among the less fortunate.

Islam prescribes eight distinct groups as eligible recipients of zakat, which include the impoverished, the needy, those tasked with the collection and distribution of zakat (amil), recent converts to the faith (mu’allaf), those seeking to liberate themselves or others from slavery (riqab), debtors struggling to repay their loans (gharim), those fighting for the sake of Allah (fi sabilillah), and travelers who are stranded and in need of assistance (ibnu sabil). This is unequivocally laid out in verse 60 of Surah at-Taubah:

إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

“The alms are meant only for the poor and the needy and those who are in charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free those in bondage, and to help those burdened with debt, and for expenditure in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise”. [9:60]

Yulianti’s Views on Zakat for Women Victims of Violence

Yulianti asserts that the obligation to pay zakat, whether it be zakat fitrah or zakat maal (wealth), is an unequivocal commandment. In terms of this unequivocality, there is no need for ijtihad, or independent reasoning, when it comes to the verses pertaining to zakat. This is because the time frame for its implementation has already been established, as well as the minimum threshold for when zakat becomes obligatory to pay.

However, in her view, ijtihad (independent reasoning) must still be carried out to apply the maqashid al-shariah aspects of zakat verses. This way, the Islamic legal system we use will be in accordance with the maqashid al-shariah, the progress of time, and the needs of society. Therefore, the ijtihad on how to promote zakat for victims of sexual violence is crucial.

In light of Surah At-Taubah verse 60, which specifies that there are eight categories of individuals eligible to receive zakat, Yulianti believes that we must reconsider our interpretation. It is possible that the circumstances of the needy, the destitute, those in bondage, and those striving in the path of Allah today differ from those in the past. Therefore, it is important to draw analogies in order to expand the meaning of zakat recipients.

For instance, in understanding the impoverished class. Presently, we can liken those living in poverty to women who are victims of sexual violence and subsequently withdraw from social circles. This state of affairs arises from the stigma we attach to them, labeling them as unclean, dishonorable, impure, and carriers of shame.

In addition, we can also liken this to victims of sexual violence who are expelled from school due to pregnancy, fired from their job, expelled from their family, community, or other places of residence. As a result, they face difficulties in processing their case and recovering their mental health.

The Significance of Acknowledging Women’s Distinct Experiences

During a webinar titled “Ramadan 2023, Zakat, Peduli Perempuan Korban Kekerasan,” Nur Rofiah mentioned that women who are victims of sexual violence are particularly vulnerable in various ways, including economically. These women often experience mistreatment from their surrounding environments, ranging from their families, schools, workplaces, hospitals, and other public places, especially those who have experienced unwanted pregnancies.

In addition to struggling to process cases and recover from trauma, she also has to finance the baby she is carrying. From the costs of pregnancy and childbirth to the process of raising the child.

According to Nur, in promoting zakat, it is important to consider women’s unique experiences. This includes their biological experiences (menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery) as well as their social experiences (marginalization, subordination, stigmatization, double burden, and violence).

Through this awareness, female victims of sexual violence can be categorized as eligible for zakat (charitable donation in Islam), due to their vulnerability in economic matters. Therefore, they are obliged to become zakat recipients.

On the other hand, Yulianti also mentioned that by including women in the category of zakat beneficiaries, it can reduce the burden experienced by sexual violence victims. They will not face obstacles in paying for medical examinations, treating physical injuries, and healing from prolonged psychological trauma.

Let us show care for victims of sexual violence by campaigning, channeling, and promoting alms-giving for them. May Ramadan bring blessings to us all, including women who have suffered from sexual violence.

LSM Permata East Nusa Tenggara: Volunteering for Flood Disasters

Like the other parts of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Lembata geography is surrounded by five volcanoes and seas that become the hidden gem of the province. The beauty does not only attract the locals, but also national and international attention. Yet, at this time, the beauty has been swept off with the flood on 4 April 2021. The flood was called the greatest disaster in the last 10 years in NTT. At the beginning, it was raining heavily, which was strong enough to push the rocks over the hills to the mountain feet and lowlands sides. Causing the rocks to damage the residents’ houses. At the same time, the sea water level was rising, thus complicating the already severe condition.

6 out of 9 districts in Lembata were affected by the great disaster. Out of 6 districts, East Ile Ape is the most affected by the flood. Because the eruption that has been going on since November last year, is still occurring to this day. Even though the disaster was small in scale, it still left major detrimental effects such as the loss of school building, houses that worsened the already poor education and economic landscape in the area.

One of many flood victims that was impacted was Mama (Mother) Rensa. This mother is one of East Ile Ape residents that saw and felt the horror of this disaster first hand. The flood happened in the evening, right after two heavy rains. At the time, Mama Rensa was at home with her husband and children. So, when the flood was already happening, Mama Rensa still had time to pack their belongings before taking shelter to the house at higher grounds. Yet, when she was about to leave her home, the flood was already high-rise, and Mama Rensa ended up having to find the closest shelter to her home. During her travel to the shelter, many challenges were up ahead. For example, Mama Rensa was hit with the rocks. And when she was in the emergency post too, Mama Rensa faced other challenges.

The emergency posts are divided into the public emergency posts and the private emergency posts. In general, the public posts are more equipped with facilities such as electricity, clean water, enough food, and clothes. Not only that, the public posts are also equipped with stand-in health workers, and psychosocial workers. Yet, this is another different case with the private post such as the one that Mama Rensa was in. The private post is divided into the private post in the towns, local residents’ houses as well as the farms. Currently, Mama Rensa was in the private post in a local residents house that supposedly has better conditions. Yet, the private post in the residents’ farms faced many limitations. The majority of refugees in the private post chose to stay because they desired to stay alongside the late family members that lost their lives in the flood. And to fulfill the needs, the refugees have to rely on the electricity from the nearest village, they have to travel to pick up the assistance. Out of concern for health, the health workers were also visiting the victims in the private post, yet their availability was also limited.

Many detrimental effects emerged from the disaster, from destroyed and damaged houses, damaged school buildings, damaged Integrated Health Centre buildings, damaged public infrastructure and raised many casualties as well. To date, there have been 60 casualties and 20 people remain missing. Regardless of the grim occurrence, the Local Government was still sluggish in dealing with the disaster, from the late response that caused the activists to fill up the government shoes, to the rushed decision to stop the search for the missing people. Because of the difficulty in reaching several locations. Before the disaster, the road infrastructure in Lembata had already been poor and the flood disaster had further worsened the infrastructure landscape.

Almost none left out of East Ile Ape. And knowing this, Mama Rensa is really pessimistic about going back and staying in East Ile Ape again. The sadness was not only felt by the local people of Lembata but the people across Indonesia. Many assistance arrived to help Lembata back on its feet again. Public figures to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, visited the affected areas to provide support for them. Alongside the local activists, health workers, Lembata could rise up again. One that took the crucial role is Mrs. Maria Loka, the activist of Lembata that leads the organization, NGO of Permata that works in assisting the Violence Against Women (VAW) victims in Lembata. Apart from her responsibility in dealing with VAW crisis that often found even amidst the disaster, Mrs. Maria Loka was also responsible as a volunteer in the Lembata Flood Disaster. She alongside her volunteer friends, worked to help the psychosocial assistance for the children and the flood victims which was still very rare in Lembata. Eventually, the assistance was not only helping Lembata and its residents but also solidifying the Lembata itself. We are hoping that the lights such as Mrs. Maria Loka could always exist and become the luminous spots to the local residents.

Identifying civil society movements in the solidarity economy

Indonesia for Humanity (IKA) is holding a webinar “Cooperatives and CSOs: The Meeting Point of Economic and Social Movements in Practice” on August 3, 2021. This webinar is here to respond to concerns about upstream to downstream economic disruption faced by all elements of society in Indonesia. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) which are the driving force of social movements that have the potential to bind community solidarity together to combat anxiety due to the economic turbulence they are facing.

Image: Presentation Slide of Romlawati (Co-Director of PEKKA). #1 Webinars

The webinar presents three resource persons who are competent in the solidarity economy movement, namely (1) Suroto from among researchers, observers, and practitioners of cooperatives; (2) Ukke R. Kosasih as the Board of Indonesian for Humanity (IKA); (3) Romlawati as Co-Director of the Implementation for Strengthening the PEKKA Economic Movement. The webinar lasted for three hours discussing the various links between Cooperatives and CSOs with approximately 100 enthusiastic participants participating to the end.

Humans who are often perpetrators, beneficiaries, and victims in economic activities must have various ways to continue to survive and increase independence. This will encourage how humans can be free from economic games by owners of large capital that threaten the benefit of human life in general. The existence of asymmetric power relations in controlling the economy, the position of the community continues to weaken economically. The reliance on the global economy shows evidence that a structured downturn has occurred.

Therefore, the solidarity economy movement must be able to encourage the creation of community independence that strengthens solidarity in community economic initiatives. Cooperatives as a financial institution are an element that can help the Indonesian people to build a community that is independent and does not necessarily exploit humans and the environment.

The FGD findings show that some facilitators still carry out direct mentoring work. This means that the role of the business world for community development competently is influenced by how a business entity can prioritize people over capital. Through the role of a business model that pays attention to community empowerment, the concept of profit oriented which can damage values ​​in a person then experiences a shift in perspective to be benefit oriented. How in these two concepts, the striking difference between them is when a business pays attention to the benefits in terms of value and competence given and received by them, compared to the profits in terms of the amount of income they face. This can be seen from how when a business model pays attention to the welfare of the elements of the workers in it, a profit factor will be achieved.

The cooperative model that develops the perspective of increasing competence instead of competition, creates solidarity and cooperation between business actors in it. In addition to business actors, consumers are also used as co-producer elements who have a role as capital owners and not only as objects of the target market. The creation of an economic democracy in society affects the increasing attention to the strengthening of human values, cultural wisdom, to ecological sustainability.

Profits from business results become a fuel in the solidarity economy movement that can strengthen resources for advocacy. In civil society organizations that are often based on a crowdfunding system, CSOs do not have a strong foundation to defend the movement they are fighting for. Through the establishment of cooperatives, business activities with their income can strengthen the social movement that civil society organizations will fight for.

Solidarity Economy in Improving the Sustainability of Civil Society Organizations

In order to strengthen the solidarity economy movement, Indonesia for Humanity (IKa) again held a second webinar on August 25, 2021 with the title “Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Connectedness in a Solidarity Economic Ecosystem”. This webinar explores the relationship between social movements and economic movements as outlined in a civil society organization. As a principle, solidarity economy can be applied in a social movement by taking into account the values ​​of solidarity, cooperation, equality, sustainability, democracy, and pluralism. The presentation of the solidarity economy and CSOs was delivered by the Executive Director of IKA, Sugiarto Arif Santoso. The solidarity economy is a worldwide movement to build a just and sustainable economy. Sugiarto also added that the solidarity economy requires a shift in the economic paradigm from one that prioritizes profit and growth to one that prioritizes living in harmony with fellow humans and with nature.

CSOs as an entity of the civil society movement are in line with the solidarity economy which places its siding on humans and nature. Sugiarto continued, that cooperatives (credit unions) as entities from the solidarity economy have several patterns of connection between CSOs as entities of the civil society movement. At least three patterns were found. First, CSOs that integrate the solidarity economy into one of the missions of the organization. The first pattern is quite popularly used by CSOs, but not much can continue after a crisis in organizational structure. Second, the solidarity economy which dedicates most of its profits to financing social and environmental movements. This pattern is not widely used by credit unions in issues such as nature conservation and economic development. However, the issue of gender equality and human rights is not yet popular. Third, the reciprocity relationship between CSOs and cooperatives (credit unions). This third pattern is not yet popularly applied by CSOs or cooperatives. The challenge of this pattern is the intention and strategy of the organization which is often considered not in line with the direction of the organization.

The many obstacles faced by CSOs cannot be separated from how the application of the solidarity economy in an organization can make changes both internal and external to the organization. The existence of a strong relationship between CSOs and economic entities such as cooperatives and social enterprises can make the growth of organizational independence and the circulation of economic flows in the actualization of joint activities with marginalized communities which develops how empowerment and funding are carried out through the herbal production process. According to Theresia Eko, the supervisor of the herbal medicine mother in Sragen, by implementing a solidarity economy that pays attention to the welfare of the herbal medicine mothers during the pandemic. Through the principles of empowerment that are applied, the movement becomes a strategy to increase the economy through maximizing the utilization of the competence of herbal medicine production and sales, to self-development to move forward together in difficult times during this pandemic. Not only paying attention to increasing sales, but how herbal medicine mothers can increase their concern for others and for nature and its sustainability.

In addition, the principle of solidarity economy applied through Pesada Perempuan also strengthens women’s political aspects, especially in North Sumatra. According to Ramida Sinaga, Pesada’s finance and fundraising coordinator, women’s economic and political movements are manifested in cooperatives that increase economic flows and embody women’s leadership. Pesada hones the skills of its cadres to become women leaders who are able to strengthen a grassroots political economy that is gender-equal, inclusive, sustainable, and influential from local to international. The solidarity economy movement is also implemented by applying simple principles through economic cycles in the village, building the village economy by developing production so that money from outside the village can enter the village, to balancing nature and human cooperation by maximizing each other’s potential and still paying attention to the sustainability of the ecosystem. . Lian Gogali, as the founder and director of the Mosintuwu institute, believes that how cooperation in the village with the organization in it can provide daily needs without relying on production outside the village. This movement will help increase one’s strong sense of belonging to the community down to one’s own village. This will affect the preservation of nature to ensure the welfare of the village community.

The variety of real solutions that have been carried out by civil society organizations to the success of the solidarity economy shows that the key to the application of the principles of the solidarity economy is one that drives the success of the movement. In addition, organizations must also be able to work together in managing the solidarity economy model that will be applied. Steps that can be taken are to add more networks through webinars, workshops, and continue to conduct substantial discussions to increase the success of the economic movement carried out.

If you are interested in developing a solidarity economy with Indonesia for humanity, let’s join the solidarity economy learning community. Please click the link below.

Call for Proposals: Pundi Perempuan Covid-19 Grant

Call for Proposals

Pundi Perempuan Covid-19 Grant: “We are in this Together. Let’s Protect Each Other”

Indonesia for Humanity (IKa) via the Pundi Perempuan Covid-19 Grant invites organizations that provide services for Women’s Crisis Centers to submit proposals that support victims of violence that are suffering under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This grant aims to reduce the burden of service provision organizations, in order that they are able to continue to provide services to women victims of violence safely and comprehensively.

Funding Criteria for the Pundi Perempuan Covid-19 grant:

  1. Service providers or women’s crisis centers in Indonesia
  2. Actively provide legal and psycho-social services to women who are victims of violence in the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  3. Are not currently in receipt of funding from a national or international donor
  4. Have a clear control system (Board, Executive and Staff)
  5. Include 2 reference from the organization’s network
  6. The Pundi Perempuan grant may be used to support the following needs:
    1. Communications (internet and mobile phone credit)
    1. Transport rental in accordance with Covid-19 health and safety protocols
    1. Supplements and nourishing food provisions to ensure the health of support staff
    1. Disinfectant, masks and other Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) 
    1. Payment for medical and psychological professional services for support staff
    1. Other relevant necessities that enable staff to work during the Covid-19 pandemic

Mechanisms for disbursement of the Pundi Perempuan Covid-19 Grant

  1. Successful applicants will be informed via email and Indonesia for Humanity’s social media
  2. The selection of the successful Pundi Perepuan grant applicants will be done by Indonesia for Humanity in partnership with the National Commission for Women
  3. The Pundi Perempuan grant will be disbursed to the successful applicants up to December 2020.
  4. The service providers and/or women’s crisis centers should submit a proposal for activities covering a period of 3 months and include the following information:

A. Organizational/Community Information

1. Name of the organization/community:

2. Name of organization/community leadership:

3. Address:

4. Email and Telephone:

B. Summary of the proposed activities

1. Title

2. Time period (maximum 3 months)

3. Budget requested (maximum 20 million rupiah)

4. Nama of the person responsible for the program (address, email and telephone)

5. Two references (names, email and contact details)

C. Proposal

1. Background/introduction

Explain the conditions the organization is facing in its area of operations whilst continuing to provide services to women who are victims of violence during Covid-19

2. Aims, expenditure, and targets that will be implemented using support from the Pundi Perempuan grant

3. What activities are planned in order to address the issues faced and attain proposed targets

4. Summarize the threats and opportunities that will be faced during the implementation of the activities and who the organization plans to overcome these threats

D. Budget

Include a budget line per activity. For example, the provision of rapid test for women victims of violence in order to be admitted to a safe house: 400 thousand rupiah.

E. Appendices

1. Organizational profile

2. Organizational structure

3. Photocopy of the bank account in the name of the organization or a photocopy of the business account together with the names of two people who are part of the structure of the organization/community The successful applicants are expected to send activity and financial progress reports along with other supporting information in accordance with the format provided by Indonesia for Humanity in its position as manager of the Pundi Perempuan grant

We are in this Together. Let’s Protect Each Other

Jakarta, 16 May – Indonesia for Humanity (IKa) and the National Commission for Women launched the Pundi Perempuan Online Donations for Women Victims of Violence in the Midst of Covid-19 on Friday 5 June 2020. This movement has been initiated to support service provision organizations and women’s crisis centers so that they can continue their work providing legal assistance and counselling services to women victims of violence.

Keynote speaker, Professor Dr. Vennetia Ryckerens Danes, Deputy of the Ministry for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Women’s Right Protection Unit, explained that online donations were an appropriate way to increase to support services provision organizations in the midst of the pandemic.

 “Collecting donations online is an appropriate way to increase support for service providers to anticipate obstacles that will arise because of the pandemic to providing support for women victims of violence,” said Professor Vennetia.

The launch was followed by a talk show with the theme “We are in it Together. Let’s Protect Each Other” with speakers including Cinta Laura Khiel (Anti-Violence Against Women Ambassador for the Ministry for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection), Theresia Iswarini (Commissioner, National Commission for Women), Lilik H.S. (Pundi Perempuan, IKa) and Ayu Kartika Dewi (Presidential Staff) as moderator.

According to Theresia Iswarini, the results of the National Commission for Women’s survey show a steep rise in incidents of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Large-Scale Social Distancing (PSBB) policy.

“During the pandemic and since PSBB was implemented, the ability of victims to leave their homes to avoid abuse has been reduced. The victims have to prioritize many things. They prioritize staying at home, providing food and clothing as well as mobile phone data so that they children can learn online,” said Iswarini.

The reluctance to report cases also impacts on the organizations that provide services, who are on the frontline in ensuring that support can still be provided, both online or offline.

Challenges to service provision during Covid-19 are also financial in nature. Communications costs have risen because of the increase of online provision. Support organizations have to adjust their budgets – some have sufficient funding and some don’t.

“The public need to be aware that it is important to increase our concern and support for service providers. Working as they do on the frontlines, if they don’t have the means to provide support – communication costs, fast internet speeds and as well as the relevant technology and ‘gadgets’ they won’t be able to support victims. We need to support them,” added Iswarini.

Pundi Perempuan is committed to help address these conditions by providing support to organizations that provide services to women and women’s crisis centers. The support is intended to empower the organizations, it isn’t charity. Pundi Perempuan will try to raise awareness of the importance of women’s crisis centers and service providers, because as levels of abuse increase, so must support,” said Lilik HS

According to Lilik, these efforts won’t succeed without the involvement of many different parties. Violence against women is a national issue, a global issue. Women are the future of civilization. Women must have full access to justice as citizens of Indonesia.

Cinta Laura Khiel also emphasized the importance of this. She explained that the involvement of many different parties is needed in order to truly support women victims of violence.

“We can help women victims of violence by donating. Our donations can provide a lot of support for women, because organizations in Indonesia that help women are short of funding,” said Cinta.

Cinta also expressed her hope that young people are aware that they must speak up, “If we speak up, the younger generation can do more to help raise awareness, that abuse and violence is wrong. We need to respect one another if we are to progress,” added Cinta. The discussion was closed by Ayu Kartika Dewi, who said that violence against women was a systemic problem, and that we can contribute to addressing this issue by donating to funding for victims and their support organizations. It is hoped that this movement can be broadened and more can be done by every sector and at every level of society.

Press Release Raising Pundi Perempuan Emergency Funding in the Midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Jakarta-Since the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the globe, violence against women has increased significantly (UN Women, 2020). The UN has stated its concern and requested that its member countries implement policies that prioritize the protection of women as part of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including Indonesia.

In its 2019 End of Year report, the National Commission for Women released figures indicating that a number of regions have seen an increase in cases of violence against women, from 406,178 cases in 2018 to 431,471 cases in 2019. It is expected that cases of violence against women will continue to increase significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the implementation of social-distancing policies, organizations providing services to women have seen a change in the way cases are reported, namely through telephone and email. This means that providing services and support to women is highly dependent on women’s access to communication and protection throughout the period of social distancing. This situation means that organization providing services to women feel unable to provide optimal legal and psychological support.

To respond to the needs of support organizations and women’s crisis centers and enable them to to provide legal and rehabilitation services to women victims of violence, Indonesia for Humanity together with the National Commission for Women under the umbrella of the Pundi Perempuan fund will raise public donation online under the theme, “We are in this Together. Let Us Protect One-another”.  The fundraising campaign will be launched with an online talk show.

As part of the efforts to support service providers and women’s crisis centers, Indonesia for Humanity (Ika) and the National Commission for Women will the Pundi Perempuan Online Donations for Women Victims of Violence in the Midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic campaign on 5 June 2020 via IKa’s YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/YouTubeIKa).

This movement will be launched by I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, Minister for Women’s Development and Child Protection with discussion on the theme “We are in this Together. Let’s Protect Each Other” with speakers including Cinta Laura Kiehl (Anti-Violence Against Women Ambassador for the Protection of Women and Children Commission – KPPA) and Lilik HS (Pundi Perempuan, Indonesia for Humanity and moderated by Ayu Kartika Dewi (Presidential Advisor).

For more information please contact:

Intan Suhartini : 0821-1153-2858

Mapping the Impact of Covid-19 on the Provision of Support to Women Victims of Violence

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.

Announcement of Successful Applicants: Pundi Perempuan Grant, January-Junie 2020

Of the 52 proposals that were received in February 2020, Indonesia for Humanity (IKa) and the National Commission for Women have finalized the selection of three successful participants that will received a grant from Pundi Perempuan to the total of 20 million rupiah per organization as follows:

Jentera Perempuan Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation – Jember

The Jentera Perempuan Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jentera Perempuan Indonesia) is an organization that focuses on providing free legal support to women and children who are victims of violence in Jember District.

LBH Jentera Perempuan Indonesia has supported women and child victims of sexual violence, domestic violence and other forms of violence. All of the members carry out their activities without payment (they do not receive wages).

Operational funding to support their activities has been generated through the sale of pre-loved clothing donated by the community.

LPP Sekar – Jepara

LPP Sekar focuses on providing support to victims of gender-based violence and children in Jepara. They receive an average of 5-7 victims of violence per month.

LPP Sekar Jepara has been supporting victims of violence since 2006. Originally, they only provided non-litigation support, providing consultation, psychological rehabilitation, accompanying victims to police stations and hospitals.

In 2013, LPP Sekar began to broaden the services it provides, including legal litigation support, legal representation in court in cases that have been declared in res judicata or case preclusion.

Ruang Perempuan – Sumbawa Barat

Ruang Perempuan (Women’s Forum) exists to support victims’ access to service provision organizations, by providing information so as to engender community support for women victims of violence.

Ruang Perempuan also provides advocacy services for women victims of violence. The services provided include consultation and legal assistance as well as psychological counselling.

The National Commission for Women also refers cases of violence in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, to Ruang Perempuan.

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