By: Prasetyo Aditya
Umah Ramah again provides education materials regarding the prevention of sexual violence in an Islamic boarding school. This was carried out in a seminar entitled “Efforts to Prevent Sexual Violence and Bullying in Islamic Boarding School Environment” at the Putri Aisyah Kempek Islamic Boarding School, Cirebon Regency, on Friday, September 15 2023.
Unmitigated, as many as 557 students attended the seminar. The hall which is used as a place for activities looks brimful from front to back. The seminar participants who attended came from female students aged between 13-20 years, consisting of Madrasah Tsanawiyah (equivalent to middle school) students to Islamic boarding school college-students.
There were three speakers in the seminar. Two of them came from the DPPKB (Family Planning Population Control Service) P3A (Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection). And one resource person from Umah Ramah, represented by Asih Widiyowati. Asih was asked to open the seminar.
In general, the materials presented by Asih covering on sexual violence, the impacts of sexual violence, and sexuality literacy. On the occasion, Asih warned female students to understand that forms of sexual violence are not only rape.
“Sexual violence is not just rape. There are many other forms that must be recognized and watched out for so that all forms of sexual violence are no longer normalized,” said Asih.
“Some forms of sexual violence may be considered ‘normal’ in daily life, such as pulling down sarongs, body shaming, cat-calling, and other things that seem ‘trivial’. In fact, such behaviors remain sexual violence, no matter how ‘trivial’!” she added.
After Asih presented the materials, a number of female students were inspired to ask questions. One of them asked Asih about how to build an ideal relationship between children and parents (fathers) so that sexual violence does not occur.
Responding to this question, Asih first agreed that sexual violence can be committed by anyone, including own parents. Therefore, apart from having to understand the forms of sexual violence, Asih also emphasizes that each individual must be more sensitive to the gut feelings that arise in a relationship.
This means that if you suddenly feel uncomfortable when touched, for example, then this can be used as an initial indication to increase alertness. Asih emphasized that in this case, a person’s feelings are valid.
After Asih, the next presentation was carried out by Siti Hamidah from DPPKB. She reviewed bullying, which is no less widespread than sexual violence cases among teenagers. Meanwhile, the third presentation was delivered by Siti Aisyah from the same institution. She raised the topic of preventing child marriage. []
Thise article was translated by Napol Riel.