Overview

The most recent report published by the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komisi Nasional Anti Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan – “Komnas Perempuan”) revealed that during 2021, a total of 1,731 cases of sexual harassment have occurred at the community level to date. Moreover, some 962 of these cases involved violence. Furthermore, while the report reveals an overall decrease in the number of reported cases in comparison with 2019, this does not necessarily reflect any decrease in occurrences of sexual harassment. Indeed, the decrease in the number of reported cases may potentially also serve as a red flag in terms of Indonesia’s poor reporting and resolution mechanisms as regards these issues and may demonstrate the fact that victims and witnesses do not feel either safe or confident enough to report incidences of sexual harassment.[1]