by Balawyn Jones, PhD Candidate and Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, and Max Walden, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne

Proposed legislation to eliminate sexual violence in Indonesia has made headlines in recent weeks because of vocal opposition to the bill from Islamic conservatives. They argue that it “promote[s] free sex and deviant sexual behaviour”.

The political parties of both President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his opponent, Prabowo Subianto, support the legislation. However, the conservative Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has rejected the anti-sexual violence bill in the House of Representatives.

A Change.org petition supporting the anti-sexual violence bill currently has over 217,000 signatures. At the same time, a competing petition opposing the bill has gathered close to 162,000 signatures since late January.

The bill aims to prohibit and prevent sexual violence including rape, forced prostitution, sexual slavery and sexual torture in the household, workplace and in public. The bill gained prominence in 2016, as activists called for the legislation to be fast-tracked in response to the shocking public gang rape and murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl by 14 drunk men in Bengkulu. Read more via Conversation