The issue regarding sexual abuse recently gained public attention following recent cases on the matter happening in the community. As an effort to build a higher education environment free from sexual abuse, the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek), Nadiem Makarim, issues Regulation of Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Permendikbudristek) Number 30 of 2021 regarding Prevention and Treatment on Sexual Violence (PPKS) on Higher Education Environment, applicable since 31 August 2021. Further, this Permendikbudristek will be disseminated to the public as part of the Fourteenth Episode of Merdeka Belajar: Kampus Merdeka dari Kekerasan Seksual (Sexual Violence-Free Campus).

In response to the Permendikbudristek, strategic measures have been made by the Rector of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) and the Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs UNS by establishing a Task Force for Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment (Satgas PPKS). The PPKS Task Force was led by Prof. Ismi Dwi Astuti Nurhaeni, M.Si., with members consisting of lecturers, academic support staff, and students with experience in handling sexual violence cases. These statements were delivered by Prof. Izza Mafruhah, S.E., M.Si., the Vice-Dean for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs FEB UNS, in her remark during the seminar entitled ‘Sex Education as Prevention of Campus Sexual Violence,’ Thursday 3/11/2022, at Soedarah Soepono Building Hall FEB UNS.

PPKS Task Force is tasked with dealing with many cases of sexual violence in the UNS environment, either conducted by the academic community, lecturers, academic support staff, and students or done by the external community toward UNS academic members.

“Prevention and treatment of sexual violence not supposed to become the PPKS Task Force’s responsibility only, all academic members, including lecturers, academic support staff, and students, should be involved, especially in terms of prevention measures,” she revealed.

In line with this statement, the FEB UNS Student Executive Board (BEM) took the first action to prevent any sexual violence in FEB UNS by conducting Sex Education Seminar inviting various figures with experience in dealing with sexual violence cases.

Prof. Ismi affirms that sexual violence covers numerous actions, either verbal, physical, non-physical, and or actions involving information technology and communication.

According to her, there are around 21 actions that fall under sexual harassment and violence, including forcing the victim to engage in sexual transactions or activities; Persuading, promising, offering something, or threatening the victim to make transactions (transactions are not limited to money transactions, but also include transactions for positions, credit scores, achievements, or other value-based transactions) or sexual activities that are not approved by the victim; Sending messages, jokes, pictures, photos, audio and/or videos with sexual nuances without the victim’s consent; Take, record and/or distribute photos and/or audio and/or visual recordings of victims with sexual nuances without the victim’s consent; Peeping or deliberately seeing victims who are carrying out activities privately and/or in private spaces and many more, the detailed list of these actions can be found in the seminar material.

Prof. Ismi added that the establishment of the PPKS Task Force UNS is expected to encourage the prevention and treatment of sexual violence in the Universitas Sebelas Maret environment to be more organized and focused.
“We invite our fellow UNS academic members to create a safe and comfortable learning space through proper prevention and treatment of sexual violence cases using the victim’s perspective. Be stronger to eliminate sexual violence!” she pleaded.

Any sexual violence case can be reported directly to uns.id/LaporSatgasPPKS, Whatsapp 081327062341 or email: satgasppks@unit.uns.ac.id.

The participants mostly consisted of students who were enthusiastic about the seminar. Other speakers invited to the event were Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Yunus, M.S., who explained campus policy in prevention and treatments for sexual violence cases, and dr. R. Prihandjojo Andri Putranto, M.Si., explaining sex education.