Jakarta – International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, was commemorated by around 100 women activists with a protest action in Central Jakarta.

The demonstrators, who came from the Indonesian Women’s Front (BPI) and the Indonesian People’s Opposition Front (FOR Indonesia), called on the government to pay more attention to women. They also presented data to demonstrate the government’s failure to protect women.

“There is data that every day 12 migrant workers die in the countries where they work,” said action coordinator Ruth Indiah Rahayu at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Monday March 8.

Other data shows that every day some 1,600 women workers are dismissed. “Every day 20 women are traded as sexual commodities. Twelve people a day become victims of sexual violence”, added Rahayu.

The protesters called on the government to pay more attention to women and to abolish government policies that discriminate against women. “For example, the bylaws in Aceh, when there is immorality, arrests, women are the ones that are punished. Also the bylaws in Tangerang, women going out at night are arrested and deemed to be commercial sex workers,” she added.

As well as voicing their demands, the activists also held a simulation people’s court. In the simulation, the president as the highest authority was held responsible for injustice against women, based on the data cited earlier.

“This tribunal uses what occurred in Japan as a reference, where the emperor was tried in case of sex slaves during the Japanese occupation”, said Rahayu.

Seated as the ‘defendant’ in the simulation was a man in a grey jacket wearing a mask with a picture of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). The result of the hearing was that ‘SBY’ was declared guilty.

[Translated by James Balowski.]