Kiprah (Progress) 2 for Edition 43:
Standing for The Victims
By: Binta
Just call her F, she is 23 years old, has 1 child, and works as a prostitute due to financial reason. Being a wife at a very young age, she was married to a man chosen by her parents. Psychologically, her unpreparedness in being married makes her marriage didn’t work out well. She suffered from ‘broken home’ then got divorced, and finally returned to her parents.
That story was delivered by one of the sex workers to the participants of the 2nd Quranic Reading or Tadarus of Female Scholars Training Program, 3rd batch, after carrying out an observation and interview with sex worker community joined in the Association of Yogyakarta Female Sex Workers (P3SY). That dialogue occurred in the district of Kemang Market (or Sarkem), a prostitute localization in the Block III, Sosrowijayan Neighborhood, next to Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta. That moment, the participants were undertaking a field research associated with materials given on Social Analysis and Globalization.
Becoming a sex worker is not an easy thing. Violent treatment and abuse from customers, competition among sex workers themselves, raid, reproaches, become their daily life. Not only the financial aspect, but psychological factor such as emotion turbulence takes part of their decision in choosing this way of life. Even though many problems have been encountered, they must go on.
The 2nd Tadarus organized from 5 to 8 of September 2013 was attended by 21 participants coming from Purworejo, Purwokerto, Kebumen, Banyumas, Ambarawa, Salatiga, Semarang, Magelang and Yogyakarta. The majority of participants have their own mentoring community, santri, majelis taklim (a forum where people gather to discuss and learn about Islam), school students, as well as other communities. This activity was supported by Rahima, in collaboration with Foundation of Ali Maksum, held at Pesantren Krapyak. On the opening session, a welcoming speech was delivered by AD Eridani as Director of Rahima, followed by speech from Hj. Ida Rofaidah Ali as representative of Krapyak Pesantren, Ali Maksum Foundation. The session was closed by praying together led by Hj. Durrotun Nafisah Ali who wished the 4 days training would go on successfully and fruitfully to all participants.
The training topic was “Religion and Social Change” delivered by several speakers. The first material was about Human and Women Rights delivered by Masruchah from the National Commission of Women, who is also the head of Rahima Association Management. The second material was about Islam, Human and Women Rights, Radicalism delivered by Farha Ciciek, a woman activist from member of Rahima association living in Jember. The third material was about Social Analysis and Globalization delivered by KH. Helmi Ali, member of Rahima Supervisor Board who also manages a pesantren in Sulawesi.
All participants looked enthusiastic in following all the materials carried out inside and outside class, as well as seemed to be courageous in expressing point of view, so the sharing and group discussion session went well. Besides giving opportunity to all participants to express their mind, the Facilitator Team also took some notes, asked clarification and classified the participants’ responses to the speakers.
In the end of the session, the facilitator invited all participants to reflect what they had learnt during four days training. One of the participants answered this training had changed his perspective on violence by uplifting justice, preventing radicalization, tackling globalization impacts and implementing self-sufficient actions to fulfill everyone’s own need and modifying people’s way of thinking.
Throughout this training, the participants are also called out to map social problems comprehensively. By implementing social analysis to identify the matter of globalization, it is expected they would be concerned with and have a greater empathy with victims or mustadhafin (disadvantaged) groups. [] Binta
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