VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 18 - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Indonesia in collaboration with the National Commission on Violence against Women (NCVAW) and the Embassy of Canada held an online talk show entitled “Women in Leadership: Ensuring the Protection of the Rights of Women with Disabilities”, on 16 March 2021.

Bahrul Fuad, Commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women (NCVAW), delivered the key message at the event.

”Talking about disabilities is not talking about them but about us. Providing access for people with disabilities is not a matter of pity but a matter of humanity," he said.

Around 12 percent of the total population of Indonesia live with disabilities.

According to the 2015 Intercensal Population Survey (SUPAS), the percentage of women is higher in all eight functional challenges listed: difficulty in seeing, difficulty in hearing, difficulty in walking/walking up the stairs, difficulty in using hands/fingers, difficulty in remembering/concentrating, behavior and or emotional disorders, difficulty/disorder in speaking and or understanding/communicating with other people, and difficulty in self-care.

Women and girls who live with disabilities often face layered injustice in various sectors,
from health to economy.

The intersectionality of their identities as women and persons with disabilities also makes them more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, as well as exploitation by family members and others.

According to Andy Yentriyani, the Chairperson of NCVAW, specific vulnerabilities that women with disabilities face are closely related to unequal relations in the society affected by not only gender and abilities but also by social class, religion, location of residency, and political affiliations.

This vulnerability is heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCVAW recorded 87 cases of violence against women with disabilities, 67 of which are sexual violence cases, in their 2020 Annual Report (Catahu). At the same time, they are also facing a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and other health risks due to challenges in implementing health protocols and barriers in accessing health services and information.

After ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) on 30 March 2007, Indonesia has had a legal foundation for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, namely the Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities.

Director for Social Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities of the Ministry of Social Affairs Dra. Eva Rahmi Kasim, MDS, says that since the ratification of the UN CRPD, Indonesia’s laws, regulations, and programs aim to create an inclusive society. Women have made contributions to the advocacy of the rights of people with disabilities in Indonesia.

With women’s leadership, disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs) have been involved in more inclusive policymaking that is more responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities both at the local and national levels. 

“People with disabilities constitute a significant stakeholder group and should always have
a place at the table,” Ambassador of Canada to Indonesia H.E. Cameron MacKay says.

This message aligns with the experience of Luluk Ariyantiny, the Chairperson of Pelopor Peduli Disabilitas Situbondo (PPDiS), a DPO that works with the government in developing Situbondo as an Inclusive District.

“The involvement of disabled colleagues, from planning to implementation and monitoring in development is highly critical… When we talk about disabilities, then it’s people with disabilities who must be engaged,” Luluk says.

For Nabila May Sweetha of the Indonesian Diffable Movement for Equality (PERDIK) South Sulawesi, as a young woman with disabilities, she feels that communities can be a platform for young persons with disabilities, especially young women, to help them to have an open mind and empower themselves in the community.

“I would like to call the government to continue to learn from both disabled persons’ organizations and local governments that have given examples of innovations in the fulfillment of the rights of people with disabilities, especially women,” says Director of Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Maliki, ST, MSIE, PhD.

The commitment of all stakeholders, improvement of public awareness, and women’s involvement in policymaking is required to continuously ensure the wellbeing and equality of access and opportunities in all sectors for women and girls living with disabilities.

“We have to work together to make sure that the positive changes and progresses made at the policy level also take place at the community level. We must support and strengthen the leadership of women with disabilities so that they are actively engaged in decision and policymaking that takes into account their rights and their wellbeing,” UNFPA Indonesia Representative Anjali Sen affirms. (VOI)