Despite being rained on since mid-day, protesters from various different civil society organisations continued hold an action commemorating International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Saturday March 8.
The IWD action in Yogyakarta, which took up the theme of "Proud Women Against Being Regulated" (Perempuan Bangga Anti Ditata), involved a range of activities including speeches, music, dance and theatre.
"It's now the turn of a regime led by a perpetrator of human rights violations [President Prabowo Subianto]. We're not surprised when various kinds of oppression continue to occur until now. They are in power, we are marginalised. Long live women who fight", shouted one of the speakers.
A woman’s representatives from disability community groups also contributed to the speeches assisted by a sign language translator. "The state does not care about us", she said.
The protesters believe that the current government is actually of great concern and a threat to democracy. "The state shows the leadership of an iron fist, a dictator with military backing. Historical nightmares should not be repeated", cried another speaker.
Yogyakarta IWD 2025 event coordinator Firda Ainun Ula said she is disappointed with the policies issued by the current regime which are still far from the principles of justice.
"Never mind talking about justice, they actually show a hypocritical conspiracy right in front of the people's faces", Ula said in a Yogyakarta IWD 2025 press release.
Ula conveyed a number of points and demands from the IWD statement to the government. First, building safe and inclusive space in all sectors and levels. "Uphold the implementation of the Law on Sexual Violence Crimes (TPKS)", she said.
Provide the widest possible access to deaf people through the use of Indonesian sign language. "Stop the practice of child marriage and forced marriage. Stop the practice of women's circumcision. Fulfill the rights of women with disabilities", she said.
Ula urged the government to create a work environment without discrimination and to ensure decent wages for workers. The government was also asked to immediately ratify the Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT).
"Facilitate maternity leave, menstrual leave, without a doctor's letter. Stop the suppression of trade unions, stop unilateral layoffs, stop stigma, discrimination and violence against women workers", she added.
Yogyakarta Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) advocacy, gender and minority groups division coordinator Nur Hidayah Perwitasari also participated in the action. She said that the phenomenon of violence in the work environment is still a global problem that tends to be ignored, including in the mass media industry.
"If working conditions are not safe, how can journalists work professionally", she said.
Sexual violence in the work environment, according to Perwitasari, is an issue that is very worrying. In fact, based on collaborative research between AJI Indonesia and PR2Media in 2022, as many as 82.6 percent out of the total 852 women journalists who responded said they had experienced sexual violence.
"This situation cannot be taken lightly. That is, the press industry is not in good shape at all", she said. (Rep-02)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "International Women's Day 2025 Yogyakarta: Hidup Perempuan yang Melawan".]
Source: https://www.rienews.com/international-womens-day-2025-yogyakarta-hidup-perempuan-yang-melawan/
