Many Southeast Asian cities are home to various types of public transportation. Citizens choose to travel via buses and trains because it is more affordable and reliable for daily use. However, observers say that they are not the safest mode of transportation for women.Last December, the Coalition for Safe Public Space (KRPA) conducted a survey regarding women’s safety on public transportation in Indonesia.
The media in Indonesia recently revealed that the Coalition for Safe Public Space (KRPA) had conducted a survey regarding women’s safety on public transportation in Indonesia. The results of the survey showed that public transportation could be considered a very dangerous public place for women, with the frequency of sexual harassment occurrences coming in second place.
In September last year, a mother of three was sentenced to six months’ jail and fined IDR500 million (US$34,000). The Indonesian Supreme Court in Jakarta had overturned a 2017 acquittal from a lower court and convicted Baiq Nuril Maknun of recording and spreading indecent material under the country’s electronic information and transactions law.
The last few times her superior at a school in Mataram, on the Indonesian island of Lombok, called her on the telephone, the conversation turned uncomfortable after it veered to include the vulgar detail of his sexual exploits and an invitation to sexual encounters in hotels. While she wanted to report him for sexual harassment, the fear of being fired stopped her as she didn’t have proof. The next time his unwelcomed call came, she was ready and recorded their conversation.
