Kiprah
Presenting KUA Needs Assessment Result on Gender-Based Violence
One of the duties and functions of the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) is to develop a sakinah (tranquil) family in accordance with the policy set by the Director General of Bimas Islam (Public Guidance for Islam) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, based on the prevailing laws and regulations.
To complete the Sakinah Family, it needs two other elements that are mawaddah (loving) and rahmah (affectionate). Rahima defines the Sakinah Family as an equal, fair, and non-violent family. Sakinah family according to Rahima begins from pre-marriage, during marriage until post-marriage.
In those three phases, gender-based violence (GBV) is vulnerable to occur due to an incomplete understanding of Sakinah family. For that reason, considering the strategic role of the Heads of KUA, Rahima then invited them to make effort to eliminate Gender-Based Violence. This effort was also committed by three other institutions: Rifka Annisa in Yogyakarta, Pulih Foundation in Jakarta, and Damar in Lampung. These four institutions then collaborated to make a program called Prevention +: Male Involvement in The Abolition of Gender-Based Violence which was supported by Rutgers WPF.
There are four strategies of approaches from this Prevention + program, i.e. through the individual, community, institution and country level. Rahima chose to take an approach to the institution in this regard through the Ministry of Religious Affairs. For the program in the first year, Rahima chose to cooperate with the Heads of KUA in Kulon Progo and Gunung Kidul regency. Our consideration was these two areas were the area under the program of Rifka Annisa that has undertaken the strategy of approach at the individual and community level so it is necessary to strengthen at the institutional level. In addition, as a joint program then every member of those four aforesaid institutions must support one another.
Rahima’s first activity was conducting Needs Assessment in both regencies. By using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, four points were asked i.e.: 1) How is the viewpoint of the Heads of Ministry of Religious Affairs/ the Heads of KUA regarding the meaning, type or form of violence, the encouraging and triggering factors, and the impacts of gender-based violence?; 2) How is the opinion of the Heads of Kemenag/KUA on the issues or problems of gender-based violence according to Islamic teachings perspective?; 3) What and how is the role of Kemenag/ KUA in preventing and overcoming gender-based violence?; 4) What are the obstacles and challenges they face?, and What issues and necessities need to be strengthened and improved in preventing gender-based violence in Gunung Kidul and Kulon Progo regency?
The issue of child marriage is one of the issues of Gender Based Violence that arose from the results of the Need Assessment. In addition, the participants differed on other issues such as polygamy, female circumcision, family livelihood, and household relations. The results of the Needs Assessment were then submitted back to the research respondents. It took place on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, in Yogyakarta. Coming to the event, the representative from the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Yogyakarta Province, Mr. Achmad Fauzi delivered his speech while opening the event. Two reviewers: Mrs. Hindun Anisah, M.A., who talked from women perspective and K.H. Chasan Abdullah who talked from Islamic perspective, also attended the event. One of the urgent recommendations conveyed in this event is the importance to increase the understanding of the Heads of KUA regarding Gender-Based Violence. (Dani)
