UNAIR NEWS – According to Tirto.id, The Jakarta Post, and VICE Indonesia in 2019, sexual violence was one of the most prevalent problems in the university environment. As reported, there were around 174 survivors from 79 campuses spread across 29 cities. This problem turned into an iceberg because half of the survivors never reported incidents of sexual violence they had experienced.
Therefore, HopeHelps UNAIR, a local branch of the HopeHelps Network, offers sexual violence prevention and response services on campus. The editorial team interviewed the Local Director of HopeHelps UNAIR, Khristianti Weda, on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Weda said that HopeHelps UNAIR offers the main response services through a hotline and assistance for survivors.
“For survivors who contact the hotline, we can provide initial psychological support and assistance according to the wishes and needs of the victim. The assistance is in the form of legal, psychological, and other assistance such as campus administration. For example, maybe the victim wants the perpetrator to be punished. However, considering that our organization is managed by students, of course, the assistance is provided in collaboration with professional institutions,” said the alumna of the Faculty of Law.
Weda said that she initiated the local branch of HopeHelps in Universitas Airlangga after completing her thesis in April 2021, with eight initial members. To establish a local branch, these members had to go through several trainings, tests, and interviews within 1-2 months by the HopeHelps Network.
“The prospective members went through a pre-test and interview, and if they passed those stages, they took part in grand training for 4-6 days. The training was very comprehensive in knowledge. We were taught things from gender, feminism, criminal law, sexual violence to reproductive health. Our mentors were also experts competent in their fields. After that, we were asked to fill out a post-test which had the same questions as the pre-test to measure the development of our knowledge. Therefore, the process was quite long to prepare our readiness in providing a response service for survivors of sexual violence on campus,” she said.
The hotline owned by HopeHelps UNAIR has been active since last September 2021, marking the beginning of the organization’s activeness. The privacy of survivors is also guaranteed, as stated by Weda through the premise that there are only three directorates who can know the incoming case reports.
Weda also said that in its activities, HopeHelps UNAIR cares about the well-being of its members since it is a student-run organization. In addition, accommodating reports of survivors of sexual violence definitely requires mental readiness and professionalism.
“Of course, work-life balance is very necessary. In fact, HopeHelps Network also provides a counseling agency for all HopeHelps members who need it,” she added.
Finally, regarding the Regulation of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology No. 30 of 2021, Weda said that HopeHelps UNAIR will increase cooperation so that the ideal campuses free from sexual violence can be realized at UNAIR. HopeHelps UNAIR will also continue to oversee policy features such as forming a Task Force so that the functions can be adequately realized at UNAIR.
Author: Pradnya Wicaksana
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
