Community Resistance to Femicide in West Java: Social Responses, Peace Actions, and Opposition to Violence against Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/ks.v7i4.49068Keywords:
Femicide, Gender-Based Violence, Civil Society, Patriarchy, Symbolic ViolenceAbstract
This study analyzes how civil society communities in Indonesia—particularly in West Java and Yogyakarta—respond to and resist femicide as the most extreme form of gender-based violence. The research is driven by the growing prevalence of femicide and the absence of legal recognition of its structural and gendered nature in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative approach and a collective case study design, this study focuses on six grassroots organizations: Sekolah Damai Indonesia Bandung, Perspektif Sosiologi, Iteung Gugat, Youth, Interfaith and Peace (YIP) Center, Puan Hayati, and Srikandi Lintas Iman. Data were gathered through interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis. The findings reveal that these communities play critical roles not only in advocacy but also in psychosocial support, safe space formation, and the production of counter-narratives that confront patriarchal and symbolic violence. Functioning as cultural, political, and therapeutic agents, they fill the gaps left by institutional inaction. However, the study also highlights structural dysfunction: the burden of advocacy is disproportionately placed on these communities, while systemic failures in law, media, and education continue to normalize gender-based violence. Theoretically, the study integrates Berger and Luckmann’s theory of social construction with Galtung’s concept of structural violence and positive peace to frame femicide as both symbolic and systemic. This research contributes original insights to Indonesian gender studies by mapping community-based resistance to femicide—an area rarely examined—and by emphasizing the urgency of intersectoral policy reform and institutional support.
References
Afrianty, D. (2018). Women and Sharia law in Northern Indonesia: Local women’s NGOs and the reform of Islamic law in Aceh. Routledge.
Afrianty, D. (2020). Women, sharia law and the politics of religious identity in Indonesia. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 39(3), 321–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/1868103420901907
Afrianty, Dina. (2022). Gender, Faith, and Sexual Violence in Indonesia. In Routledge Handbook of Islam in Southeast Asia (pp. 176–189). London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429275449-13
Ananta, N. (2024). Kasus Femisida 2024: Tertinggi Kedua dalam 5 Tahun Terakhir. Tempo.Co. Retrieved from https://www.tempo.co/infografik/infografik/kasus-femisida-2024-tertinggi-kedua-dalam-5-tahun-terakhir-1182615
Arief, H. (2019). Prevention of violence against women in household by the Indonesian laws. Opcion, 35(90), 289–303.
Azzahra, T. A. (2024). Komnas Perempuan Catat 290 Kasus Femisida di 2024, Jabar-Jatim Terbanyak. Detik.Com. Retrieved from https://news.detik.com/berita/d-7679873/komnas-perempuan-catat-290-kasus-femisida-di-2024-jabar-jatim-terbanyak
Bandeira, L. M., & Magalhães, M. J. (2019). The transversality of femicide/feminicide crimes in Brazil and Portugal. Revista Da Defensoria Pública Do Distrito Federal, 13(2), 44–62.
Berger, P. L., Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. Anchor.
Beta, A. R., Prihatini, E. P., & others. (2025). Reclaiming feminist space: Gender justice and popular culture in contemporary Indonesia. Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 31(1), 1–17.
Bryce, I., & Schaffer, K. (2024). Child Femicide. In Forensic Victimology and Femi(ni)cide (pp. 99–116). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-72512-8_3
Cayir, E., Spencer, M., Billings, D., Hilfinger Messias, D. K., & Robillard, A. (2021). Working Against Gender-Based Violence in the American South: An Analysis of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality in Advocacy. Qualitative Health Research, 31(13), 2454–2469. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323211041327
Céspedes-Guevara, J. (2023). A Constructionist Approach to Emotional Experiences with Music. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 19(4), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.5709/acp-0402-4
Corradi, C., & Bandelli, D. (2019). Femicide. In Handbook on Gender and Violence. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788114691.00015
FarrHenderson, M., Di Marco, M. H., & Evans, D. P. (2025). Perceptions of Social Capital Before and After the Perpetration of Femicide, Homicide, and Other Serious Crimes: Evidence from Argentina. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 40(7–8), 1772–1799. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241265918
Galtung, J., & Fischer, D. (2013). Johan Galtung: Pioneer of peace research (Vol. 5). Springer.
Gardiner, R. A., & Finn, H. (2023). Implementing gender-based violence policies in the neoliberal university: challenges and contradictions. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 38(2), 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2022-0228
Garrido, S., & Davidson, J. W. (2019). Setting the Mood: Throughout History and in the Modern Day. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02556-4_5
Gomes, C. M. (2014). The femicide in Brazilian women’s fiction. Revista Estudos Feministas, 22(3), 867–888.
Hartanto, M. I., Wibowo, B. A., & Rachmad, F. (2019). Tantangan penegakan hukum berbasis gender dalam kasus kekerasan terhadap perempuan. Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 5(2), 122–138.
Hartanto, R. V. P., Liestyasari, S. I., & Budiati, A. C. (2019). Paralegals and women’s access to justice: Making access to justice of women victims of violence effective. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(3), 5741–5745.
Hazarika, K., & Dowerah, S. (2023). Rethinking gender discriminations in modern India: reading Qala from a feminist perspective. Feminist Media Studies, 23(2), 704–711. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2023.2186821
Hentschel, F., & Kreutz, G. (2021). The Perception of Musical Expression in the Nineteenth Century: The Case of the Glorifying Hymnic *. Music & Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043211012396
Humbert, A. L., & Strid, S. (2024). Institutional confidence, underreporting and academic consequences of gender-based violence among university staff and students in Europe. Studies in Higher Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2440544
Husniah, F., Taufiq, A., & Murti, F. N. (2024). The strengths of female characters in Indonesian fairy tales. 030049. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0241686
Incháustegui Romero, T. (2014). Sociología y política del feminicidio; algunas claves interpretativas a partir de caso mexicano. Sociedade e Estado, 29(2), 373–400. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-69922014000200004
Iteung Gugat. (2025a). Call to Action for International Women’s Day Bandung 2024. Iteung Gugat. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/C3_WYnbyXez/?igsh=OWVsbDdhajhoYzc3
Iteung Gugat. (2025b). Poster of the Event “Panggung Ekspresi: Kenali Hukumnya, Lindungi Korban.” Iteung Gugat. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/C0yr1G-yrqR/?igsh=NXB2ZnZrZDY0aXd0
Komnas Perempuan. (2020). Siaran Pers Komnas Perempuan tentang Femisida Siaran Pers Komnas Perempuan FEMISIDA: TUNTUTAN PEMBARUAN HUKUM DAN KEBIJAKAN MENYIKAPI ANCAMAN. Komnas Perempuan. Retrieved from https://komnasperempuan.go.id/siaran-pers-detail/siaran-pers-komnas-perempuan-tentang-femisida
Kreft, A.-K. (2023). “This Patriarchal, Machista and Unequal Culture of Ours”: Obstacles to Confronting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 30(2), 654–677. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxac018
Mas’udah, S. (2022a). Kekerasan terhadap perempuan dan tantangan feminisme hukum di Indonesia. Jurnal Konstitusi, 19(4), 721–743.
Mas’udah, S. (2022b). Resistance of women victims of domestic violence in dual-career family: a case from Indonesian society. Journal of Family Studies, 28(4), 1580–1597. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2020.1852952
Mas’udah, S. (2023). Power Relations of Husbands and Wives Experiencing Domestic Violence in Dual-Career Families in Indonesia. Millennial Asia, 14(1), 5–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996211039730
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (2013). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. London and New Delhi: Sage Publications, Inc.
Mkwananzi, S., & Nathane-Taulela, M. (2024). Gender-based violence and femicide interventions-perspectives from community members and activists in South Africa. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2024.1199743
Muqtada, M., Anshari, M., & Mahendra, A. (2024). Gender dan ruang publik pasca-Reformasi: Analisis wacana Islam politik di Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Studies, 8(2), 89–109.
Muqtada, M. R., Istianah, Ahmad Sharifuddin bin Mustapha, & Mufid, A. (2024). Fiqh Contestation on Women’s Public Leadership in Indonesia and Malaysia: Reproducing Qur’anic and Hadith Interpretations. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 19(1), 221–248. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v19i1.13163
O’Reilly, C. (2023). Violent conflict and the strength of civil society. International Journal of Development and Conflict, 13(1), 65–88.
Pérez-Martín, S., Frieiro, P., Verde-Diego, C., & Vázquez Silva, I. (2025). Institutional Sexism Against Women Subjected to Gender-Based Violence and their Children. An International Systematic Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380251325213
Perspektif Sosiologi. (2022). Sosiologi Feminisme: Melihat dari Mata Wanita. Perspektif Sosiologi. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QsrA22m9ZA
Perspektif Sosiologi. (2025a). PS Talks (Eps. 1): Kenapa Perempuan Menikahi Pria Lebih Rendah? Perspektif Sosiologi. Retrieved from https://perspektifsosiologi.com/pstalks/
Perspektif Sosiologi. (2025b). Tentang Perspektif Sosiologi. Perspektif Sosiologi. Retrieved from https://perspektifsosiologi.com/tentang-perspektif-sosiologi/
Puan Hayati. (2023). Webinar Flyer from Puan Hayati: “Citra Diri dan Kepribadian Perempuan Indonesia.” Puan Hayati. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CrklsLrSDA0/?igsh=cDRqemxrbWo4aWhn
Purwanti, A., Shaluhiyah, Z., Widjanarko, B., & Natalis, A. (2024). Empowering Women: A Reflection on Protecting Against Dating Violence In the Indonesian Context. Qubahan Academic Journal, 4(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.58429/qaj.v4n1a245
Richie, B. E. (2022). The Effects of Violence on Communities: The Violence Matrix as a Tool for Advancing More Just Policies. Daedalus, 151(1), 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_01890
Rodriguez, K. (2023). The emergence of queer feminist Islam in Southeast Asia. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 39(1), 52–75.
Saraswati, R. (2020). Indonesian women “breaking the silence” of domestic violence through the domestic violence act 2004: Between the law “on the books” and the law “on the ground.” In Victims of Violence: Support, Challenges and Outcomes (pp. 125–142). Nova Science.
Schech, S., & Mustafa, M. (2010). The Politics of Gender Mainstreaming Poverty Reduction: An Indonesian Case Study. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 17(1), 111–135. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxp025
SEKODI. (2025a). Op-Ed by Fanny S. Alam in Pikiran Rakyat: “Perjuangan Hak Perempuan Masa Kini.” SEKODI. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/DI0PZYsNubz/?igsh=MWd5YXNrdWliejF0ZA%3D%3D
SEKODI. (2025b). Sisterhood Dialogue flyer: Femisida pada Perempuan. SEKODI. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPefEOTIPF/?igsh=emR1a2N5aXRobmI4
Sela-Shayovitz, R. (2018). 'She knew he would murder her’. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 13(1), 11–34. https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v13i1.157
Shannon, K., Kerr, T., Strathdee, S. A., Shoveller, J., Montaner, J. S., & Tyndall, M. W. (2009). Prevalence and structural correlates of gender based violence among a prospective cohort of female sex workers. BMJ, 339(aug11 3), b2939–b2939. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2939
Shizuka, V. A., & Azizah, N. N. (2024). ‘Nyala untuk Nia’: Solidaritas Perempuan untuk Stop Femisida. Konde.Co. Retrieved from https://www.konde.co/2024/09/nyala-untuk-nia-solidaritas-perempuan-untuk-stop-femisida/
Smith-Hefner, N. J. (2025). Gender, Islam, and youth in contemporary Java. Journal of Asian Studies, 84(1), 1–24.
SRILI. (2024a). Event Flyer from SRILI: “Women Peace Security: Dahulu, Kini, dan Nanti.” Srikandi Lintas Iman (SRILI). Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/DB_P3yPyG2F/?igsh=NGRvdjVkMnZmZzQy
SRILI. (2024b). Perempuan Merdeka dari KDRT. Srikandi Lintas Iman (SRILI). Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/C-wlebdSPLs/?igsh=MWlpeGNjZjJ0bTA4Zg%3D%3D
Tahalele, D., & Prihatini, E. P. (2024). From sport to politics: Women’s agency in new Indonesian feminism. Asian Women, 40(4), 91–115.
Turvey, B. E., Coronado, A., & Baltazar, K. V. (2022). Integrated forensic assessments: Femicide. In B. E. Turvey (Ed.), Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis (5th ed., pp. 517–534). Academic Press.
Weil, S. (2016). Making femicide visible. Current Sociology, 64(7), 1124–1137. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392115623602
Whittington, R., Haines-Delmont, A., & Bjørngaard, J. H. (2023). Femicide trends at the start of the 21st. century: Prevalence, risk factors and national public health actions. Global Public Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2225576
Wilmar, A. (2025). Femisida Bukan Sekadar Pembunuhan Biasa, Ada Misogini di Dalamnya. Magdalene. Retrieved from https://magdalene.co/story/femisida-kekerasan-berbasis-gender-misogini/
Wynn, M. (2004). Musical Affects and the Life of Faith. Faith and Philosophy, 21(1), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.5840/faithphil200421117
Yin, R. K. (1994). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
YIPC. (2024). Documentation from Temu Keberagaman Jawa Barat 2024. Youth Interfaith and Peace Center (YIPC). Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/C_saqTHSgpM/?igsh=b2hoMDRka2QxcnRp
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mochamad Ziaul Haq, Gerardette Philips, Stephanus Djunatan, Henrycus Napitsunargo, F.X. Galih Kurniawan, Renatha Aisya Nazwanindya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).