FISIP UPNVY Concerned about Sexual Violence on Campus

Monday (24/10/2022), the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Yogyakarta (UPNVY) organized a discussion on the issue of sexual violence on campus. This discussion involved representatives from the Student Executive Board (BEM) of four campuses in Yogyakarta, academics, and practitioners.

This activity was part of the series of celebrations for the Dies Natalis of FISIP UPNVY in the form of a national seminar with the theme "Realizing a Campus that Defends the Nation, Free from Sexual Violence." The four student organizations participating in this event were the BEM of Gadjah Mada University, BEM of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, BEM of Institut Seni Indonesia, and BEM of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Yogyakarta.

In this discussion, each representative of BEM presented cases of sexual violence that occurred on their respective campuses. They acknowledged that many victims are reluctant to report such incidents for various reasons. They also admitted to actively participating in the formation of the Prevention and Handling Task Force for Sexual Violence (Satgas PPKS) on their campuses.

Fauzul Haq, a lecturer in the Public Relations Study Program at UPNVY, also addressed the reluctance of victims to speak out. He explained that some victims are afraid to report because they fear complications or judgment. Some also do not know whom to report to. According to Fauzul, combating sexual violence on campus is the responsibility of everyone in the campus community. Awareness of this issue is an implementation of the values of defending the nation in efforts to prevent sexual violence.

Lisa Oktavia from Rifka Annisa presented research results involving 324 respondents from 19 campuses in the Yogyakarta region. In the study, 163 students admitted to experiencing, hearing, or witnessing sexual violence on their campuses. Lisa explained that there is a structured culture on campuses that makes sexual violence constant and challenging to combat, such as rape culture— a term used to describe a condition where rape and sexual violence are considered normal in society— and victim blaming, where society blames and believes that the harassment is a result of the victim's behavior.

Similar opinions were also expressed by Meike Lusye Karolus, a member of the Task Force Implementation Team of Permendibud 30 Year 2021 UPNVY, who is also a lecturer in the Communication Science Study Program at UPNVY.

Meike cited data from the Ministry of Education and Culture, showing that sexual violence in the education sector is most prevalent in higher education institutions, reaching 14%. UPNVY responds to this by implementing Permendikbud 2021. The selection team for Satgas PPKS has been formed, and the focus is on monitoring the formation of Satgas, the determination of rector regulations regarding PPKS, the creation of standard operating procedures (SOP) at the faculty level, the establishment of counseling bureaus, and the development of prevention programs.

Dean of FISIP UPNVY, Machya Astuti Dewi, conveyed in her address that this activity is a significant moment in commemorating the 29th anniversary of FISIP UPNVY. One concrete step taken to prevent sexual violence on campus is by providing a complaint hotline. Through this seminar, it is hoped that the entire campus community will become more aware of the prevention and handling of sexual violence cases.