Hamim Thohari, Yogya – In commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD), students from the Student Alliance for Women held a peaceful action at the Jl. Malioboro shopping district in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Sunday March 8.

The protesters said that in the midst of the era of reformasi [the reform movement that began in 1998] and openness, the fate of women has not automatically improved. Action coordinator Marsinah Dede said that the oppression of women of late has in fact increased.

“Discrimination, sexual violence, commodification of women’s bodies and sexual control in legislation along with government policies are increasingly attacking women”, said Dede during a break in the action.

Furthermore she said, there are several regulations that discriminate against women, including among others the marriage law which has not been revised since 1974, the anti-pornography law and the healthcare law, along with 282 regional bylaws that discriminate against women in various forms.

The protesters also questioned legal and government bias in cases of sexual violence. The continuing increase in cases of sexual violence against women, which have tended to become more sadistic, according to Dede, shows the government’s helplessness in overcoming the issue.

The peaceful action, which began at the Abu Bakar Ali parking area north of Malioboro and ended at the zero kilometre point in front of the central post office, also stopped at the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building where the protesters gave speeches. (tribunjogja.com)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Mahasiswa Minta Pemerintah Hapus Dikriminasi Perempuan.]

Source: http://jogja.tribunnews.com/2015/03/08/mahasiswa-minta-pemerintah-hapus-dikriminasi-perempuan