Komnas HAM: 2024 Election Not Friendly to Women

Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, assesses that the 2024 election is not friendly to women. Regulations made by the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) have harmed women’s rights to be nominated in elections. The rules in KPU Regulation (PKPU) No. 10/2023 concerning the nomination of members of the People’s Representative Council (DPR), Provincial Regional DPR (DPRD), and Regency/City DPRD resulted in 266 Permanent Candidate Lists (DCT) out of a total of 1,512 DCT DPR Election Members 2024, which does not contain provisions for women’s representation of at least 30 percent.

“The 2024 election is indeed an election that is very unfriendly to women, from all aspects, at various levels. The regulations in the Election Law are clear. At least 30 percent are on the list of candidates. But this inconsequential interpretation reduces women’s rights. “This is not a problem at the end that the number of women will decrease, but at the bottom, it is about women’s rights,” stressed Pramono in the discussion “Results of Monitoring Gender-Based Violence in Elections in Indonesia” (24/6).

Apart from KPU regulations, which are not friendly to women, according to Pramono, political parties also do not have a good gender perspective. Pramono’s experience as a member of the Indonesian KPU for the period (2017–2022) shows that political parties often requested that the KPU not require a minimum requirement of 30 percent of women on the candidate list.

“When discussing PKPU nominations, the party definitely bargained. Don’t do that. Don’t do that. We are having difficulty finding female candidates. In fact, the problem is not difficulty in finding candidates but about recruiting female cadres. “So, the party didn’t take good initial steps from the start, which ended up being difficult to find female candidates, so in the end, the minimum requirement of 30 percent of women on the candidate list was compromised,” said Pramono.

In line with Pramono, Secretary General (Sekjen) of the Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI), Mike Verawati also views the 2024 election as a vulnerable election for women. Not only do KPU regulations injure women’s political rights, but there is also a case of alleged sexual harassment by the chairman of the Indonesian KPU, which has been brought to the Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP).

“Gender-based violence has occurred since the election was held. The saddest thing is the 2024 election. With digitalization, violence is increasingly occurring in online spaces. Then election organizers also become perpetrators of gender-based violence. “There were immoral acts committed by the chairman of the Indonesian KPU,” said Mike in the same discussion.

According to him, the KPU has an important role in providing outreach regarding the importance of the presence of women in politics and state governance. The KPU is expected to have a gender perspective in carrying out the election stages, including making gender-based violence that has the potential to occur at all stages of the election a fundamental problem that needs to be prevented. []