JAKARTA: Lawmakers on Monday (April 20) pressed the government and university leaders to strengthen campus sexual harassment safeguards, following public outrage over recent cases involving dozens of University of Indonesia (UI) students and a Padjadjaran University professor.
UI has suspended 16 law students over a group chat containing vulgar remarks and the objectification of female students and lecturers, while Padjadjaran University has suspended a professor from its Faculty of Nursing who allegedly sent lewd messages to an exchange student.
In response, House of Representatives Commission X overseeing education summoned officials from the Higher Education, Science and Technology Ministry and rectors from several major universities to review prevention and response mechanisms, including the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education (PPKPT).
The closed-door meeting, which lasted more than two hours, was attended by senior ministry officials and representatives from UI, Padjadjaran University, Bandung Institute of Technology and Bogor Agricultural Institute.
Speaking after the meeting, higher education ministry secretary-general Badri Munir Sukoco said the government shared deep concern over sexual harassment on campus, while noting that the rising number of reports also reflected improved reporting channels through the PPKPT.
He claimed the ministry was stepping up efforts to strengthen prevention systems, including introducing performance contracts for university leaders that make PPKPT implementation a key indicator.
Nationwide, all public universities have established such task forces, while implementation in private universities has reached about 65 per cent.
A 2024 higher education ministry regulation on preventing and handling cases of on-campus violence mandates all universities to set up task forces, composed of lecturers, students and administrative staff members, which are tasked with investigating allegations of sexual violence and harassment.
Further assessments are also underway to improve handling mechanisms, Badri said, adding that the ministry would incorporate lawmakers’ input into potential policy revisions.
“We will further examine issues such as the root causes of violence, including power relations and consider regulatory updates based on input from Commission X,” he said.
House Commission X deputy chairman Lalu Hadrian Irfani said lawmakers had pressed the universities to deal with the issue firmly, urging that all relevant mechanisms, including sanctions, be enforced without impunity once investigations have been concluded.
“The process must also be made as transparent as possible once facts are established, as the incidents have tarnished our education system,” Lalu asserted. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
