Indonesia has made great strides against gender based violence, both through setting up crisis centers for women, as well as through trying to work with men and boys.

Violence against women has been recognized as a crucial issue in Indonesian within last fifteen years.

Since early the 1990s growing numbers of women’s crisis centers are appearing in provinces all over Indonesia to provide services to survivors of violence. These centers are provided not only grass roots activists but police and hospitals too.

Since 1984 when Indonesia ratified CEDAW, a Zero Tolerance Policy was introduced in 1999, the National Action Plan on Elimination of Violence Against Women was formulated in 2000 and finally, the Government of Indonesia passed the Anti-Domestic Violence Act in 2004.

These initiatives have had a real impact for women in Indonesia, such as a sharp increase in women reporting incidences of domestic violence which were once seen as a ‘family matter’ not to be discussed outside the home.

But what has been the impact of these measures on men?

Nur Hasyim of Rifka Annisa, a women’s crisis center in Yogyakarta, asked this question at the Regional Conference on Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Muslim Societies held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in March 2009.

Rifka Annisa identified the gaps in anti-violence initiatives and saw that working with men and boys was an essential next step. According to Hasyim, by changing men, the effort to build new relationship or non abusive relationship between men and women will be achieved.

Rifka Annisa has developed initiatives since 2007 including:

a. Researching men and masculinity
b. Promoting new concept of masculinity
c. Building space for men to talk about themselves
d. Mobilizing men and boys to engage in anti-violence activities
e. Initiating behavioral change counseling program.

Rifka Annisa is continuing to translate theory about working with men and boys to end violence against women into practice. Contact the organisation here.

Nur Hasyim’s paper from the Regional Conference mentioned above was drawn upon heavily for this short article. Read the full paper here.

This is a response to the blog-post, “A call to action: Your views on men and domestic abuse.”

The opinions expressed in this text are those of the author.