Valentina Sagala (Indonesia)


VALENTINA SAGALA

Peace Women Indonesia

 

Foto_by Jakarta Post

Rotua Valentina Sagala or Valentina Sagala is a prominent feminist activist, law scholar, human rights defender, researcher, advisor, legal-drafter, and policy analyst who dedicate her life in human rights and feminist movement for twenty years. She is the founder of INSTITUT PEREMPUAN or WOMEN’S INSTITUTE since 1998, the first feminist, independent, non-profit organization established in Bandung, West Java province. She is now the Executive Board of INSTITUT PEREMPUAN and SEPERTI PAGI Foundation, and Co-founder of the Arts for Women Foundation. With her vast network and experience, she holds position as independent consultant and/or senior policy advisor for the Government, Parliament, United Nations agencies and numerous distinguished international organizations.

 

Using Institut Perempuan as the primary enabler, Valentina has been advocating for reforms on existing Indonesian laws that dehumanize women, and even create and perpetuate violence against women, a situation which has in part lead to changes of the political regime in 1998 and during the same period mass rape tragedy where perpetrators got away with barely any legal consequences. The Institute main mission is to advocate women’s human rights through feminist movement to create justice, equality and humanity. To achieve that, it strives to trigger local feminist movement and also be part of similar global movements including shaping a society where women’s human rights movement plays an important role. It carries out numerous activities for pushing forward women’s human rights through comprehensive strategy for empowering (via educating and organizing) grass-roots women and simultaneously conducting advocacy at all levels from within the country up to regional and international (http://www.institutperempuan.or.id).

 

Her advocacy push at the provincial level bears fruit in 2005 when West Java became the first out of 34 provinces that passed the Local Regulation on Child Protection. Those affected by this legal umbrella is not a small number. In 2005, there were over 20 millions of women and children in this West Java province. Valentina did not stop there; she found new issues and acted on it. Despite great resistance from the Moslem majority society at large and reluctance from government officials she continued fighting until West Java issued the Local Regulation on the Elimination on Human Trafficking in 2008.

 

Over her exceptional dedication, the Institute has been working actively in promoting international human rights instruments to be incorporated into the national legal system. Through the Institute, Valentina has involved in the establishment of several national alliances with significant important to the movement, including the Pro Women’s Network for Legislation (JKP3), the Network on Advocacy on Domestic Workers Protection (JALA-PRT), the Advocacy Network for Women’s Rights (JAHP), and actively participated in international women alliances including the Global Alliance Against Trafficking of Women (GAATW).

 

In the course of her career, in 2004-2005, at the national level, Valentina served as Coordinator of Legal and Policy Reforms of Komnas Perempuan (National Commission on Anti Violence Against Women), lead the advocacy including maintaining advocacy network for amendment of the Criminal Law, and the Criminal Procedures Law, and harmonization of laws which addressed the raise of fundamentalism; establishing criminal justice system in handling cases on violence against women; and provided capacity building for internal and partners including government, parliament, law enforcement and judicial sectors, activists; following her previous works serving as Child Protection Program Officer UNICEF and lecturer of the Law Faculty of Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung West Java.

 

Throughout her career, she personally provided capacity building (through trainings, workshops etc.) to hundreds of the members of parliament, government, judicial (police officers, general attorneys, judges and court staffs, lawyers), education (lecturers, students), professionals (doctors, journalists), religious/community leaders, social activists both at national level and also in many districts/provinces especially in the eastern part of Indonesia and conflict areas. She served as legal drafter, policy analyst, researcher, specialist, consultant for international organizations (ACILS, ICMC, TdH Netherlands, Plan International, Save the Children, ASHOKA, and Care International), UN agencies (IOM, ILO, WHO, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UN WOMEN, UNFPA, UNDP), and partnership program between Indonesia and other countries (USAID and AusAID programs).  Not only she has been actively awarded scholarship to give presentation during panel at many regional and international forums, she also took important role as facilitator for regional and international workshops related to women’s human rights.

 

Valentina is also known as an outstanding writer, columnist, poet who has written hundreds of articles, short stories, and poetries, published in local, national, and international media and journals. She had been involved in editing numerous books especially on the issue of women, law, and human rights. Valentina broadens her networks and actively run campaign through mainstream media, and also the rapidly growing online media. In 2002, she was selected as one of “15 Potential Women” by The Body Shop-Aura-Women’s Journal for her initiative and pioneering campaign on “Zero Tolerance of Violence against Women” utilising the local radio and its expanded radio program development. As author of several books, began with publishing only several editions of feminist journals “Her Story”, continued more works on publishing feminist materials, in 2004, the publication unit of the Institute evolved and became an independent entity called “Pojok 85 Publisher” which since then has published many feminist books, filling the gap of rarely found feminist literatures in Indonesia. She also developed the first “Feminist Library and Bookstore” in West Java.

 

Due to her strong credibility, since 2012, Valentina is trusted to seat as the youngest member of Editorial Board of Sinar Harapan Newspaper (Rays of Hope: http://www.shnews.co/home), one of Indonesia’s oldest, progressive, and once largest newspapers, firstly published in 1961. The 2012 new Editorial Board which provides general guidance to the newspapers consists of respected figures in activism, journalism, and other disciplines. From the total of 19 board members only three (including Valentina) are women. She is the youngest among other board members, and being honoured to write for a regular weekly column.

 

Cultural activity is also Valentina’s passion. She has been performing regularly in numerous events such as poetry readings, and short stories performances both at the national and international fora. Representing women in Indonesia, Valentina delivered an unforgettable cultural speech at the 2011 International Women’s Day in Jakarta, a distinguish work which has been translated into English and published broadly.

 

The “Feminist School”, one of her genuine innovations, which was established as feminist education program for grass-roots women and social activists, received 2005 “Innovative Grant” from ACCESS-AusAID. With several other awards earned at national level, in 2013 Valentina was declared as the winner of N-Peace Award “Role Models For Peace” from Indonesia, a prestigious award initiated by the N-Peace Network, aim to identify the work of Asia Pacific women leaders and peace builders in conflict affected countries: Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, and the Philippines. The award is facilitated by UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Centre in partnership with Search for Common Ground and the Institute for Inclusive Security, with support from AusAID (N-Peace Award: http://n-peace.net/alumni/2013). In 2014, Globe Asia Magazine named her as one of the Indonesia “Women on the Rise – Making Their Name on the Global Stage”. In 2015 she was awarded the Australia Awards Fellowship (AAF) and joint the alumni ever since.

 

Valentina was also named one of the peace women by the PWAG.  Since 2011, she is included in the Peace Women Across the Globe (PWAG) Indonesia network as an active consultant and advisor and a value member of new Peace Women member, which has contributed a lot to PWAG Indonesia program ever since. She also supported the PWAG as regional learning forum facilitator and editor of a book (“The Black Umbrella”) a compilation stories written by Indonesian women’s victims of political/military oppression. She is reachable through e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], Facebook: Valentina Sagala, and Twitter: @ValentSagala