Locations
For years domestic violence survivor Mama Heni (not real her name) would run to the forest in Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua and hug a tree as a way of consoling herself and masking the pain she felt.
While she found solace during her weekly Sunday mass. it was her ‘forest run’ ritual that helped her gain strength to withstand daily physical and verbal abuse from her husband of over 20 years.
“I am a victim [of violence],” said Mama Heni during a recent gathering of domestic violence survivors, organized by the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP) to end gender-based violence ( GBV) in the far-flung province. In the forest she would hug a tree and cry her heart out, she said, adding that she would return home as if nothing had happened.
The Planning and Paying for Local Action Plans to Address Gender-Based Violence in Papua Project is a multi-year initiative that runs from 2018 – 2020. It aims to combat violence and discrimination against women and girls in Indonesia’s Papua Regency. Among its expected outcomes is an participatory action plan to end violence and discrimination there
The discussion took place in Bunyom village, just outside capital, Jayapura and one of two pilot villages for the Project. The approach allows women like Mama Heni, and men, to be engaged in open discussions and work together to identify the cause and solutions to end GBV as well as its funding source and to formalize it into the village planning document
It was not easy to make H and other survivors to speak up. The UNDP team needed to take them to a “picnic” in a safe place, away from their husbands’ prying eyes, to make them comfortable enough to tell their stories.
Ironically, Mama Heni’s experience resonates with women globally. In many settings, women do not have the privilege to be involved in the decision-making process and often fall victim to violence. In fact, one out of every three women worldwide experience violence according to research by WHO (Global and regional estimates of violence against women, 2013).
Within just six months of the intervention, the project has seen positive change. The village annual development planning which had been dormant was revitalized, various stakeholders, women and other community members began speaking up and becoming involved in the planning and receiving of training on developing local action plans. A proposal on the prevention of GBV has been submitted to the village officials to be financed through the village fund. The head of the sub-district has shown interest in implementing the project in seven other villages under his jurisdiction and the mayor is looking into recommendations for financing from the regency fund.
A UNDP survey into violence against women in Papua, Indonesia reveals 38% of ever-partnered women have experienced at least one of four types of violence in their lifetime. 16 % have experienced one of these types of violence in the last year
At the end of the Project, the findings are expected be presented to the Village and Regency officials to ensure inclusion of gender-based violence prevention policies in the action plan for village development planning 2021 and accounted for in the village and regional income and expenditure budget (APBD) as well as scaling it up into two other villages.
This is the reason why such projects exist -- to help women like Mama Heni , so that their voices can be heard, so that there can be an end to GBV.
Now that she has found a platform to share her grievances, Mama Heni has stopped going to the forest. But she would still like to visit the forest – for a different reason – to thank the tree for being a listener. Now, her voice is finally heard by those who care.
Written by Terra Taihitu, Anna Temongmere, Yosua Wanda, SCN CREST, LBH APIK & LP3AP
