Dr I rawati H arsono

1. THE DEVELOPMENT of WOMEN and CHILDREN SERVICE UNIT within the POLICE – Indonesian Experience Dr Irawati Harsono

2. This presentation is about 13 years struggle of six (ten) Indonesian senior women police officer to promote a more gender sensitive atmosphere inside Indonesian National Police (INP) especially inhandling violence against women and children cases.

3. BACK GROUND • In the year 1995 the international economic crisis broke. In Indonesia the crisis developed into multi dimension crisis and moved into open conflicts and riots. On Mei 1998 riots flamed Jakarta and more than one hundred women mostly Chinese inherited were sexually assault. • These ignited big movement among women, some women leader succeed to urge the president to form a commission anti violence against women (Indonesian Women Commission - IWC). • Indonesia National Police - INP is one of the most criticized institution and called severely as not able to fulfilled it’s task to protect women.

4. The Strengthof (Retired) Senior Police Women • First, the idea of senior female police officers fighting for the empowerment of female police by training their Junior is easier to be accepted by logic and relatively easy to obtain support from the masculine INP. • Second, there is this thought that it is only appropriate that female police officers defend their own kind, women and children victims of violence, “it is a women’s problem”, although this very thought reflects clearly the gender biased and patriarchal way of thinking within INP. • Third, no longer bound by formal hierarchical regulations within INP,they have years of experience working in INP’s environment and know almost all leaders within INP

5. The LBPP DERAP WarapsariSeptember 1, 1998 Six Senior Female Indonesian Police Officers designed the formation of an NGO The Women and Children Protection Organization DERAP Warapsari Motto:"Independent and sincere in sharing empathy and care”.

6. DERAP main objective and mission is to become the BRIDGEbetween Indonesian National Police (INP) and the community in handling violence against women and children • Encouraging the INP to establish Special Service Unit in handling violence against women and children(UPPA) & Police Woman Desk (RPK) - (capacity buildingon: Organizational Development • Empowering female police officers as UPPA’s staff in serving women and children victims of violence. (capacity building on: Human Resource Development • Building network between UPPA and other parties in handling violence against women. (capacity buildingon: Partnership Development & Institutional and Legal Framework Development

7. The First Move • The first action is in 1999 asked the Chief of Jakarta Metropolitan Police to form nine Police Women Desk (RPK) all around Jakarta. DERAP trained 35 women police officer to crew the RPKs. • RPK can be seen as a perfect solution as the criticism against the police mostly lies in the police officers’ lack of empathy, even leaning towards harassment out of disrespect to women’s sensitive issues. • Providing a room or infrastructure (RPK) is the easiest chance to be provided by the police because the change of structure, guidance and policies, which require some instructions from the Police Headquarters, will take a long process and quite a lot of time, with little guarantee of success.

8. The Development • Early 2000 according to the evaluation done by DERAP andIWC, RPK wont survive if it is not structuralized into INP organization. • Responded to that started 2003 DERAP planed and did several programs to advocate the making of a Chief of INP Decree (PERKAP). In the year 2007 that Decree has been signed and declared as PERKAP no. 3/2007 and PERKAP no 10/2008 that structuralized UPPA & RPK into INP organization

9. The Progress • Up to now the number of UPPA is 360, around 2500 police women have been trained (still very small amount compare to Indonesia’ condition) • UPPA& RPK has become the contact issue between government institutions or NGOs if they want to work together with INP on woman and child’ protection. • UPPA & RPK stated in Domestic Violence Law Trafficking Law and Child protection Law and other government decrees and regulations.

10. Obstacles • UPPA is in need of temporary shelter (safe house) for women and children victims of violencebut the system is not yet well developed especiallyin remote areas and UPPA has to figure out efforts to solve the problem and build networks accordingly • Unifing the perception held by members of Criminal Justice System (CJS)on violence against women and children is not easy • Not all police stations can easily open an RPK • Complicated and gender bias bureaucracyin INP makes female police officers serving as RPK’ staffs often feel frustrated

11. Build Gender Sensitive Integrated Criminal Justice System • Forming Laws on protection of Women and Children Rights (Domestic Violence Law, Eradiating Trafficking in Women Law, Child protection Law etc) – Coordination with Women Empowerment Department (Meneg PP&PA), Women Parliament Caucus and IWC • Empowering Law Enforcement Program - IWC and NGOs, lecture & train in LE schools • Study & Research coordination with Meneg PP&PA, Universities and other connecting Departments & stake holders.

12. “Old Police Women never die they just fade away”

13. THANK YOU “TERIMA KASIH”