MAMPU Conducted Field Test for Campaign Handbook with SPI Labuhanbatu

MAMPU is committed to supporting the work of its Partners in order to influence stakeholders on women’s issues and make women’s voices better heard. This includes supporting the campaign activities of MAMPU Partners involved in the United Nationals 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence across Indonesia, known as 16 HAKtP. On 11-12 November 2017, MAMPU conducted a field test of the implemention of the MAMPU Campaign Handbook with the Independent Women’s Union (SPI) in Labuan Batu, one of the members of the Women’s Crisis Centres (FPL) . Labuan Batu was the third MAMPU project location following Ambon and Solo where the campaign guidelines have been put into practice with other FPL members. The trial of the handbook is intended to help partners improve the quality of their campaigns—from preliminary planning and implementation to evaluation—especially with regard to the global 16 HAKTP campaign which runs each year from 25 November to 10 December.

Attended by representatives of SPI groups from six of the villages that it supports, the field test began by evaluating the campaign ran by SPI for the implementation of 16 HAKTP in 2017. The evaluation showed that the activities undertaken by the SPI in the campaign had received considerable attention from the general public as well as from the government at the village level.

A number of issues formed the basis for the 2017 campaign and will remain a key focus for SPI’s advocacy efforts in 2018 at the local level. This includes the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill,  district-level policy related to the implementation of women’s protection, and increasing comprehensive services for women victims of violence, to deal with the increasing number of cases of domestic violence and the high incidence of violence in dating couples. From the Campaign Handbook monitoring visit, SPI have realised the need to further develop their key messaging across their campaign activities.

SPI Labuan Batu’s campaign activities for 16 HAKTP comprised three key elements: hearings with key government stakeholders; a public radio program; and multi-stakeholder dialogue.

The campaign began with hearings with several government stakeholders including the Office of Empowerment and Protection of Women and Children, the Integrated Service Centre for Women and Children’s Empowerment, and Family Welfare Development to increase the understanding in Labuan Batu District regarding violence against women, including sexual violence.

Second, SPI’s campaign also targeted the general public, via a radio program to share information about the high incidence of violence against women in Labuan Batu District, violence prevention efforts, and the existence of services in the form of ‘help posts’ for victims of violence in some villages with SPI groups. The campaign aimed to mobilize support from the community to call on the local government to develop a policy that creates a legal umbrella for the protection of women.

The third activity was a multi stakeholder dialogue. This involved the Regional House of Representatives, law enforcement officials, Family Welfare Development, village governance organisations (Health, Socials Affairs, Empowerment and Protection of Women and Children including the Integrated Service Centre for Women and Children’s Empowerment, Community and Village Empowerment), Local Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), and representatives of other community organizations. SPI used the Forum toexplain the situation to stakeholders regarding violence against women including sexual violence in Labuan Batu District, and to encourage support for and commitment to making policy on the implementation of women’s protection.

At the end of the Forum, participants committed to ajoint Follow-up Plan for 2018.

“Thank you to the MAMPU Team from Jakarta because this field test is very important for SPI members as well as SPI groups in the villageSs and the presence of our friends from MAMPU has increased our knowledge about carrying out campaigns that will also be useful in carrying out the activities of SPI in the future,” Henny Rahayu, Program Coordinator, SPI.