FemFest 2017

Women's rights issues were under the spotlight during the inaugural Feminist Fest in Senen, Central Jakarta, last weekend.

The walls of the venue were decorated with empowering posters, previously used during this year's Women's March.

The festival kicked off with a plenary session, "The Basics of Feminism," featuring reputable scholars such as Valentina Sagala, Misiyah and Maulidia Raviola.

It was followed back-to-back by talks tackling various topics, such as women in politics, gender-based violence, media and feminism, eco-feminism, and sexual and reproductive health. Speakers highlighted the importance and relevance of feminism in Indonesia as a perspective to solving the country's problems.

In one of the panel discussions, "Indonesian Female Workers," three experts talked about the challenges female workers face, such as unequal treatment and sexual harassment.

Migrant Care chairwoman Anis Hidayah said it was time to create a policy roadmap with a gender-sensitive approach to protect Indonesian migrant workers.

Another speaker was Ikka Noviyanti, secretary of the Indonesia Social Changes Association (OPSI), which advocates for an end to the marginalization and criminalization of sex workers. Her organization continuously demands government recognition for sex workers and insists that prostitution centers are important to ensure workers' safety.

Senior journalist Luviana meanwhile recommended that media workers join a union that can support them on issues such as unfair suspension or dismissal, excessive work hours, or any unjust policies.

In addition to discussions, a series of workshops were also held. The first day saw workshops on zine-making, writing and the basics of sign language. This was followed by martial arts classes for self-protection the next day.

Music performances by Chikita Rosemarie, Mian Tiara, Yacko and Melanie Subono concluded the event.