Jakarta, July 30 — Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi (Perludem), together with the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), held a meeting to develop guidelines for eliminating sexual violence within political parties. The meeting aimed to strengthen mechanisms for preventing and addressing sexual violence within the party, while ensuring that the guidelines can be implemented in accordance with the party’s needs and organizational structure. PSI Jakarta already has a Pocket Guide on the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence as one of its commitments to addressing the issue.
“These guidelines are recommendations. They are not intended to be rigid and allow for adjustments according to the internal structures of political parties. Perludem itself has a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the Elimination of Sexual Violence, which of course differs from the internal mechanisms of political parties,” said Perludem Executive Director Heroik M. Pratama.
Also attending the meeting were Perludem Program Manager Kahfi Adlan Hafiz and Perludem Researcher Usep Hasan Sadikin. Representing PSI Jakarta were Secretary of the Jakarta PSI Regional Executive Board (DPW), Gerald Iryan Wibinata; Deputy Secretary of the Jakarta PSI DPW, Milen Putira; and Allya Natasya Aurora. Also present was Mike Verawati Tangka, a consultant assisting in the development of the guidelines on eliminating sexual violence.
The participants discussed the finalization of the guidelines and developed plans to ensure that they would not merely remain a document, but could also be implemented through the party’s internal mechanisms.
One of the main topics discussed was the mechanism for handling cases of sexual violence. Perludem and PSI Jakarta emphasized the importance of clear procedures for addressing allegations of sexual violence within the party, from receiving reports and examining cases to protecting victims or survivors, making decisions, and following up on cases. The mechanism must clearly establish who is responsible for receiving reports, how cases are examined, and how the confidentiality and safety of all parties involved are protected. With clear procedures in place, case handling is expected to be based on established mechanisms rather than ad hoc decisions or personal relationships within the party structure.
“The structure of PSI Jakarta is not large, and we also have limited human resources. Our organization is relatively lean. Given this context, the need for a Task Force and a Fact-Finding Team must be adapted to the human resources available within PSI Jakarta,” Gerald explained, describing the internal context of his party.
The discussion also focused on the establishment of a Task Force and a Fact-Finding Team to address cases of sexual violence. The structure, authority, and human resources of these teams will be adjusted to the party’s organizational structure and internal capacity. This adjustment is important to ensure that the mechanisms developed are not only ideal on paper but can also be implemented effectively in practice.
In addition, the formation of these teams must take into account competence, independence, confidentiality, a victim-centered perspective, and the capacity to examine every report fairly.
For Perludem, creating a safe political party environment free from sexual violence is part of the broader agenda for inclusive democracy. The quality of democracy is determined not only by electoral competition, but also by how political institutions ensure that everyone can participate without experiencing violence, intimidation, or discrimination.
For PSI Jakarta, meanwhile, the guidelines are expected to serve as an institutional instrument that can be implemented and further developed within the organization. The May 11 meeting not only resulted in the finalization of the document, but also marked the starting point for follow-up efforts to implement the guidelines within the party’s internal environment.
USEP HASAN SADIKIN
Researcher, Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi (Perludem)
