Seminar no. 1360
19 November 2025 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 hrs.
Speaker: Ratu Matahari (Ph.D. IPSR Student)
Intimate Partner Domestic Violence (IPDV) is still a serious public health and gender issue in Indonesia. Although the government and civil society have developed laws and support systems, many women continue to live in violent marriages. Understanding women’s vulnerability and the social, cultural, and institutional factors that influence it is essential to create more effective prevention and response strategies. Several previous studies have focused on the prevalence or legal aspects of IPDV, but limited studies that explored on how cultural and religious norms, community leaders’ perspectives and attitudes, and institutional responses that shape women’s experiences of vulnerability towards IPDV. This study fills that gap by exploring perspectives from survivors, community leaders, religious leaders, and institutional staffs. The purposes of the study are to explore the life experiences, perceptions of IPDV, and attitudes towards vulnerability among women who have experienced IPDV. Exploring the perceptions and attitudes of religious and community leaders regarding married women’s vulnerability to IPDV, and exploring the roles of religious leaders, community leaders, and government institutions in preventing IPDV. This study was a part of a mixed-methods study involved in-depth interviews with 19 women survivors of IPDV from eight provinces such as Aceh, North Sumatra (Medan), West Sumatra (Padang), Yogyakarta, West Java (Banten), East Java (Surabaya), Bali, and East Nusa Tenggara (Soe). Participants were recruited through partner organizations such as women crisis centre (WCC) Rifka Annisa, SPI Labuhan Batu, LBH APIK, Bali Sruti Foundation, and Sanggar Suara Perempuan. Additional informants of this study were community leaders that collected with focus group discussion (FGD), interviews with four religious’ leaders, and staffs from WCC Rifka Annisa, Sanggar Suara Perempuan and UPT PPA. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. The study revealed that there were four major themes. First, premarital red flags revealed early signs of control and emotional manipulation normalized as part of women’s moral duty. Second, relational dynamics showed escalation from emotional to physical, sexual, and economic violence. Third, perceptions and attitudes toward IPDV reflected social silence, where fear of shame discouraged help seeking behaviors among informants. Fourth, roles of religious and institutional leaders showed that fragmented services and moral interpretations emphasizing patience and forgiveness often delayed protection to the victims. It can be concluded that women’s vulnerability to IPDV in Indonesia is sustained by cultural norms and weak institutional coordination. Interventions must strengthen faith-based advocacy, improve services integration, and promote gender equality since adolescent period..
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/94011930186?pwd=twB71QxUbUWHKmd2vdl0EBQ2bmRsW9.1
Meeting ID: 940 1193 0186
Passcode: 137084
