In the early 2000s, after Suharto’s authoritarian regime fell and Indonesia transitioned to democratic governance, significant socially progressive reforms were enacted, including laws protecting human, women’s, and ethnic rights. However, backlash from anti-reform actors in 2019 threatened the modest progress achieved, prompting IBJ to initiate the ‘Advancing Justice for Women in Indonesia’ project in 2020. The project was launched in partnership with Indonesia’s leading legal aid organization specializing in representing women, LBH APIK Jakarta. Building on the successes of this project, together we  launched the ‘Bridging the Justice Gap’ project in January 2024 to support female human rights defenders in providing better protection to women in conflict with the law.

Impact in Numbers

Being a Human Rights Defender (HRD) in Indonesia is a high-risk profession. HRDs, especially women, face threats, intimidation, arbitrary arrest and torture because of their work. IBJ launched their women’s program in 2020 in response to the numerous curtails on women’s freedom and social mobility and the difficulties that women lawyers face.  IBJ is aiming to change this.

  • 1,1k+ persons provided legal assistance and representation
  • 300+ lawyers trained 
  • 340+ justice sector stakeholders engaged and educated through roundtables
  • 21,7m+ million people reached through rights awareness campaigns

Data as of September 2024

Systems Change

IBJ signs 8 MoU’s with detention facilities

Roundtable discussions enhanced trust between lawyers and stakeholders, resulting in 8 MoUs being signed.. Partners noted improved interactions, focusing on collaborative problem-solving rather than taking an accusatory approach. These MoUs, signed between project partners and detention facilities, ensure lawyers’ access to clients. Crucially, agreements between detention facilities and legal aid providers provide a level of security for human rights defenders, who often face violence due to their work nature.

Lawyers in Jombang are invited to conduct visits to Women’s prisons

Following the National Networking Forum and IBJ’s diplomatic approach, lawyers in Jombang were approached by a local detention facility, prompted by the Head of Prison’s participation in the Forum. Despite prior reluctance to collaborate, discussions at the Forum shed light on existing procedures granting lawyers unrestricted access to prisoners. Consequently, legal organizations in East Java were permitted the same access. This instance underscores the value of roundtable events in exchanging best practices, enhancing access to justice, and safeguarding against human rights violations through lawyer protection.

Recommendations are produced as a result of roundtable discussions

Between 2020 and 2023, over 300 justice sector stakeholders from 70 organizations participated in regional and national roundtable discussions, generating 67 recommendations to strengthen the rule of law, enhance early access to justice for women in conflict with the law, and combat gender-based violence in the criminal justice system. These recommendations, examined by IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta, underscored systemic issues within the justice system, informing discussions at the National Roundtable in May 2022. This collaborative process identified areas for policy and legislative reforms to advance women’s access to justice in Indonesia, demonstrating the impact of stakeholder dialogues in driving systemic change.

Defender Resources

Amongst our activities, we provide free legal assistance, develop training tools, hold legal training seminars, local and national roundtables, and rights awareness consultations in detention facilities. All of these events and activities allow us to support and strengthen Indonesian civil society leaders and human rights defenders to promote the rights of women in conflict with the law and end gender-based violence within the criminal justice system.

  • DefenseWiki – references, legal codes, and assessments
  • eLearning Modules– in-depth and topic-focused training (login required).

   

Timeline

March 2020 – Launching of the ‘Advancing Access to Justice for Women in  Indonesia’ initiative

The project aimed to create a network of justice stakeholders to protect the rights of accused women, and raise awareness of the prevalence of  gender-based violence within Indonesia’s criminal justice system.

The initiative formulated strategic partnerships with five of Indonesia’s leading women’s rights organizations, namely LBH APIK Jakarta, Women’s Crisis Center Jombang, LBH APIK NTT, Yayasan Embun Pelangi Batam, and LBH APIK Sulsel.  Our partners provide complementary skills and resources, ranging from the legal expertise of human rights lawyers to the grassroots mobilizing capabilities of civil society organizations and the policy-making influence of government bodies. 

March 2020 – Present day – Providing legal representation to Indonesia’s most vulnerable 

IBJ and partners have provided legal assistance to over 1000 women since the beginning of 2020. From a sample survey of former clients conducted in 2022, 78% reported being less fearful of GBV in detention centers once a lawyer was handling their case. 

JM Ester Day discussing a case with a client in a detention facility 

November 2020 – First Rights Awareness Campaign video is broadcast and reaches +7,000 people

Link to video

Recognizing that women in conflict with the law are often unaware of their rights, the ‘Advancing Access to Justice’ project launched a diverse public awareness campaign to reach audiences across Indonesia. The first of four campaign videos was shared on social media, educating the public about their rights and how to access free legal representation. 

Later in the project, IBJ’s JusticeMakers Fellows broadened the campaign through radio broadcasts, podcasts, and live awareness campaigns that reached over 21,000,000 people. 

April 2021 – IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta celebrate Kartini Day

For the launch of the second rights awareness video, IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta selected the day dedicated to Raden Ajeng Kartini, a prominent women’s rights advocate  known for championing gender equality. The video aimed to educate viewers about due process rights, particularly from the moment of arrest.

May 2021 – Launching of the Indonesia Women JusticeMakers competition

The competition supported 10 female lawyers to implement locally-tailored projects to enhance access to justice for women in conflict with the law and eradicate gender-based violence in the criminal justice system. The winners began their 12-month  projects in July.

July 2021 – Online Criminal Defense Skills Workshop trains 121 defense lawyers

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta hosted an online workshop for lawyers from five regions across Indonesia. Post-training surveys revealed that 100% of the workshop participants said that the training had helped them to feel more confident in their ability to represent female criminal defendants at risk of GBV, and that their knowledge of effectively protecting due process rights had increased. 

Additional workshops were hosted through our JusticeMakers Fellows projects for lawyers and justice sector stakeholders.  JusticeMakers Fellow Joan Riwu Kaho trained 35 lawyers on ‘Providing Legal Assistance for Women With Disabilities’. Ana Abdillah trained 30 justice sector stakeholders the implementation of  UU TPKS (Elimination of Sexual Violence Law), and Siti Nur Faida held a training on implementation of Law no. 11 of 2008 regarding Information and Electronic Transactions for 25 justice sector stakeholders.

July 2021 –  6 new eLearning modules developed

Six eLearning modules were developed to complement IBJ’s Criminal Defense Skills Workshop and facilitate access to continuing legal education for lawyers across the country. Available for all, they are accessible on IBJ’s eLearning platform, and include topics such as: Rights and Obligations of the Defense Lawyer, Rights of the Accuses, and Rules of Evidence. 

Link to Indonesia eLearning 

July 2021 – Publication of  Defender Resource Manual 

A Defender Resource Manual was created and distributed to lawyers, serving as a valuable reference tool for criminal law in their daily practice. To enhance accessibility, the manual was  digitalized and made available online, while 200 physical copies were printed and distributed to legal professionals.

2021 – 2022:  8 MoU’s signed to facilitate access to detention facilities

The project effectively facilitated greater and unrestricted access to detainees through the signing of the eight MoU’s. Importantly, the MoU’s signed between detention facilities and legal aid providers also offer a degree of protection to the personal security of human rights defenders, who can become victims of targeted intimidation and violence because of the nature of their work.

May 2022 – National Networking Forum and National Roundtable

These events were described as being groundbreaking platforms where regional stakeholders could meet their national counterparts and government officials to discuss issues related to access to justice.  77 justice sector stakeholders represented seven regions of Indonesia – DKI Jakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Riau Islands, and Papua. Organizations in attendance included the Supreme Court, BPHN, KEMENKUMHAM (Ministry of Law and Human Rights), POLRES, POLDA, KOMNAS Perempuan, POLRI, Office of the Attorney General, regional prisons, and district courts. 

November 2022 – Training of Trainers and Skills Training Workshop

IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta hosted a Training of Trainers and Skills Workshop to provide a bespoke training event to  maintain the impact of the project,  promote female leadership, provide training on specific requested topics, and strengthen the community of lawyers we have built to continue to overcome challenges within the current legal aid system. Modules on such as “Defending individuals charged with cyber-crimes” and “Ensuring a fair trial for minority groups” were among those discussed.

2023 – Launch of  IBJ Youth Initiative

Aimed at providing legal protection for children in conflict with the law in Indonesia, Abigail A J Junginger’s project focuses on collaboration with institutions such as the child protection commission, legal aid organizations, and youth communities in Jakarta. Abigail joins IBJ’S global community of Youth Defenders to strengthen access to justice for juveniles in conflict with the law.

January 2024 – Launch of the ‘Bridging the Justice Gap’ project

In collaboration with LBH APIK Jakarta and the Delegation of the European Union to Indonesia, IBJ launched the Bridging the Justice Gap project. The project aims to advance strategic action that catalyzes promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights, including legal protection to vulnerable minorities and human rights defenders, victims of GBV, and those prosecuted under laws criminalizing women.

March 2024 – Launch of the Women Human Rights Defender Network in Indonesia

IBJ met with the Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Indonesia to celebrate the launch of the Women Human Rights Defenders Network (WHRD). The WHRD Network seeks to integrate women defenders from rural areas and those working at the grassroots level. It  includes not only lawyers, but also civil society leaders, journalists, paralegals, academics, and all women dedicated to human rights advocacy.The Network’s inauguration on International Women’s Day signified a pivotal moment for IBJ Indonesia in its commitment to enhancing women’s rights protection.

May / June 2024 – Criminal Defense Skills Workshops held in 5 regions

Throughout May and June 2024 IBJ and LBH APIK Jakarta trained 125 lawyers in five 3-day Criminal Defense Skills Workshops. Training locations spanned Indonesia’s immense archipelago, to reach lawyers in Java (Jakarta and Jombang), Riau Islands (Batam), Sulawesi (Makassar), and East Nusa Tenggara (Kupang), enhancing their skills and strengthening the nation’s legal defense network.

Jakarta, May 29 -31 2024

Batam, June 3-5

Makassar, 7 – 9 June 2024

The topics covered ranged from effective trial skills, including the examination of a witness and vital elements of an effective closing argument, to specialist subject matter presented by prominent local trainers, on building strong defenses under the controversial ITE law (Law No.11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions) and understanding gender dynamics in criminal defense.

Kupang, 12-14  June 2024

Jombang, June 19-21 2024

Success Stories

Diah’s case

In August 2019, Diah’s husband was charged with drug offenses and was subsequently incarcerated. While unhappy with her marriage and unable to divorce her husband, Diah started a relationship with another man resulting in her becoming pregnant. At seven months pregnant, Diah left Jakarta with her six-year-old child and moved to Bogor to live with her cousin. During this time, she was informed that it was possible to accelerate the pregnancy and have the child at eight months. After contacting the clinic, Diah was picked up on November 19 for her appointment and was taken to an apartment complex. Apprehensive, Diah decided to go through with the process and ingested the three pills she was handed. Shortly after, police raided the apartment, arrested Diah on illegal abortion charges, and took her to the police station.

While held at the police station, Diah began to have contractions and was moved to the police hospital where she gave birth to a healthy baby. Before long, Diah was detained for five days at the Polda Metro Jaya detention center. Local IBJ partner, LBH APIK, was quickly informed of Diah’s case and successfully secured her transfer from the prison hospital to a safe house, where she is being held on bail. There she was able to care for her baby and her six-year-old. Lawyers continued to support Diah’s case and fight the charges against her.

Ulli’s story

Here is the case of Ulli, a woman who received legal assistance through the project. IBJ’s JusticeMakers Fellow, Joan, was contacted by Ulli’s family while she was held in Kupang Women’s Prison. Ulli, confused about her case’s status, revealed that her previous lawyer had asked for money before her trial. Unable to pay, Ulli attended trial without representation. Joan discovered the trial was incomplete and that Ulli had been coerced into confessing. Joan represented Ulli for the remainder of the trial, ensuring her the opportunity to present a defense and receive a fair trial.

Partners and Donors

  • LBH APIK Jakarta
  • LBH APIK NTT (East Nusa Tenggara)
  • LBH APIK Sulsel ( South Sulawesi) 
  • The Women’s Crisis Center Jombang (East Java)
  • Yayasan Embun Pelangi Batam (Riau)
  • Remotivi
  • EU Delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam

MoU’s 

  • Ministry of Law and Human Rights (DKI Jakarta)
  • Regional Office of Women Empowerment and Child Protection East Nusa Tenggara
  • Regional Office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights Papua
  • Makassar Class I Detention Center 
  • Makassar Harbour Police
  • Makassar City Police
  • Batam Class II Prison 
  • Jombang Class II Prison

What we need

There are many ways to get involved, to help make a long term difference. Please get in touch.