Rifqi Riyanto/INA Picture Company/Sipa USA
Inside extremely spiritual and normative societies equivalent to Indonesia, the notion of sexual violence appears to be one thing that’s absurd and past perception.
Many individuals nonetheless consider the incidence of sexual violence is just out of the query in a pious society or a rustic with “Japanese” values.
Our analysis highlights a singular actuality in Indonesia.
Drawing on educational views that paint the web as a world of its personal, or a “heterotopia”, our examine argues that social media platforms present an area for contesting realities to counter dominant beliefs and norms – together with these associated to sexual violence.
We discovered sexual violence happens no matter faith, class, social relations, or clothes. Perpetrators of sexual violence – starting from rape to sexual torture – embody husbands, boyfriends, family members or different acquaintances identified to the sufferer.
Our outcomes are additionally according to the rising variety of sexual violence survivors in Indonesia who’ve publicly uncovered their experiences. They accomplish that not by mainstream information retailers, however as an alternative by private accounts on social media.
Not like earlier research that argue the web invitations types of sexual violence, it’s evident on this examine that feminine survivors of sexual violence in Indonesia inform tales of their expertise on Twitter and Fb to share fears, grievances, despair and anger.
Knowledge from this analysis additionally present these survivors discover assist in social media as a secure house that resists stigmas and stereotypes about victims of sexual violence.
Social media as secure house
Our workforce carried out on-line observations on Fb and Twitter to gather information. We additionally held in-depth interviews with feminine survivors of sexual violence.
Though they acknowledge that social media don’t continuously assist and empower, feminine survivors consider social media provide a “counterpublic” – an area accepting of different realities that dominant society has usually rejected.
Social scientists have argued that feminine survivors disclose their expertise of sexual violence by on-line platforms as a method to struggle and reply to sexual violence.
Nancy Fracer, a professor of philosophy and politics, introduces the notion of a “subaltern counterpublic”. It describes a spot for marginalised communities to flow into counter discourses and train autonomy, free from the dominant society.
One in every of our analysis topics, DH, shared her expertise as a survivor of sexual violence, pleading with readers to assist:
“[..] I’ve been relationship him for years, so he despised my resolution to interrupt up with him. He raped me, beat me. It was the primary time he ever abused me. A couple of weeks later he did it once more when he discovered that I deliberate to return to my mum or dad’s home as I had felt like a horrible and soiled girl. [..] I’m scared, and I really feel actually haunted by guilt, remorse, and disgrace. Please give me an answer and please don’t bully me.”
DH’s submit obtained 27 optimistic reactions and 23 likes. Out of 31 feedback, 17 supplied options, help concerning their state of affairs, assist and encouragement.
One other survivor, NN, shared her story of being sexually harassed by her stepfather. The submit obtained 256 optimistic reactions and 151 supportive feedback.
“Once I was within the ninth grade, my stepfather fondled my breasts. Once I confronted him, he denied it by saying that I faked the entire thing and was delusional. The subsequent time, he stated that it will need to have been a djinn. I instructed my mom about what he did, however on the finish my mom selected that bastard’s aspect.”
The supportive reactions that DH and NN obtained present how social media can create an area for everybody to have a voice, improve consciousness of sexual violence, in addition to present a secure house for feminine victims.
It’s evident on this examine that feminine survivors understand social media as offering a spot of refuge from threats and abuse.
By telling their tales, survivors discovered emotional and psychological empowerment. On the identical time, they keep away from stigma, strain and marginalisation from the dominant society.
Though outcomes present feminine survivors nonetheless are nonetheless subjected to a punitive gaze from society (by destructive responses on their posts), on the identical they obtain beneficiant public encouragement – starting from authorized help and psychological assist to digital safety.
Stigma and silencing
Why do feminine victims of sexual violence think about social media a secure house?
The survivors we talked to in our examine are properly conscious of stigmas inside dominant society which can be rooted in dangerous myths about ladies and sexuality. These survivors find yourself in search of different “secure areas”.
A lady in our examine, for example, believes sexuality and girls’s rights referring to sexuality stay taboo subjects inside the dominant society.
“If I share my experiences, individuals would blame me for carrying tight garments and ‘main individuals to the incorrect concept’.”
Survivors in our examine talked about at the least two myths on sexuality.
The primary is the purity delusion. It argues that sexuality is a sacred and personal matter.
The second delusion says sexuality is a taboo matter, which ought to be prevented and never mentioned exterior of marriage.
These myths then perpetuate “benevolent sexism” by the glorification of moms and wives. They emphasise a discourse that honourable ladies are those that stay virgins till marriage.
Because of this, mainstream society calls for that ladies solely have interaction in sexual actions and procreate inside the establishment of marriage. The identical logic of domination assigns males as breadwinners to steer and shield wives’ and youngsters’s purity.
“Folks might imagine I need to be sexually violated by my husband for not being a great spouse.” (RA, survivor)
Usually, sexual violence eludes recognition, prosecution and punishment. The dominant society employs ethical requirements that assign good ladies to be guardians of virtues and honour, and good males as their protectors.
As a consequence, feminine survivors are outright marginalised and sometimes blamed for inciting sexual violence.
This example then suppresses feminine survivors from exposing and reporting sexual violence as they won’t really feel secure or comfy coming ahead and sharing the expertise.
Help from the state and society
Findings on this examine emphasise how feminine survivors face many obstacles to discovering refuge and assist inside the dominant society.
Restricted assist and a scarcity of related authorized provisions that shield survivors of sexual violence drive them to hunt refuge in different public areas, like social media.
Though feminine survivors on this examine take shelter within the on-line sphere, victims of sexual violence nonetheless desperately want assist from the dominant construction.
Out examine requires the state to cross Indonesia’s proposed sexual violence invoice as quickly as doable.
We’ve seen earlier than the rise of actions that publicly oppose this invoice. They contend that such a legislation violates Muslim values, promotes sexual promiscuity and causes individuals to deviate from spiritual norms and “Japanese” values.
These actions amplify stigmas and myths that stop feminine survivors of sexual violence from discovering refuge and justice.
Endah Triastuti doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that may profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.