Growing numbers of women in Indonesia are learning fighting arts to defend themselves from domestic and gender-based violence.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00After years of being repeatedly attacked and physically abused by her husband,
00:07Rani Merant is learning Muay Thai, a style of kickboxing to defend herself.
00:11I learned boxing because I was physically abused and I couldn't fight back.
00:16Now I have the skills to fight back.
00:21Rani is one of a growing number of women in Indonesia learning mixed martial arts and Muay Thai.
00:27The rising popularity of combat sports among women in the Muslim-majority country
00:31has seen an explosion in demand for female instructors.
00:35There are a lot of people looking for a Muay Thai teacher,
00:38a private Muay Thai teacher, because there are many men who don't want a male coach,
00:43so they prefer a female coach.
00:51While most Indonesian women in combat sports are there to get some exercise and blow off some steam,
00:55others are there to learn to defend themselves.
00:59One in four women in Indonesia will experience sexual or physical abuse in their lifetime,
01:03with cases including attempted and marital rape, forced abortion, and incest.
01:09The country's Commission on Violence Against Women reported around 290,000 cases of gender violence in 2023,
01:17a 12% decrease from 2022.
01:20That small drop in the rate of violence corresponds with the country's passing of a sexual abuse law in 2022,
01:27a law that defines sexual abuse inside and outside of marriage, officially recognizing spousal rape.
01:33But the commission warns that under-reporting means the actual number of cases of sexual violence is far higher.
01:39In the case of sexual violence, many of our society still considers it as something shameful,
01:45and it's a shame for the woman.
01:48Because there are many families who decide to let it go.
01:52If we can handle it, we don't need to tell the whole world that our children have experienced sexual violence.
01:58Researchers say female students between 18 and 24 years old are the most likely to experience sexual violence,
02:05and the perpetrators are most likely to be their former or current male partners.
02:10Muay Thai coaches hope to empower women by giving them the skills they need to fight back,
02:14and the courage they need to speak up.
02:16From what I've learned, the mentality is formed.
02:19So the person who used to be shy and quiet, now he can speak up.
02:27So, how can I put it, the person who used to be shy,
02:32now he can be brave and defend himself.
02:40As government efforts to curb gender violence and protect women make gradual progress in Indonesia,
02:46women here are taking matters into their own hands and learning to protect themselves.
02:51Howard Chong and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.