A B S T R A C T

Equal status is accorded to all Indonesian citizen without exceptions is the principle stated in the 1945 Constitution and other subsequent regulation and legislative acts. Bases on the above principle, violence against women is legal protected in the Penal Code.

The Penal Code provides protection of violence victims as well as punishment of offenders, women as well as men. Other subsequent regulations and legislative acts reinsure the full enforcement of the Penal Code.

However, obstacles are encountered in the enforcement process of the law, particularly from the prevailing traditional, social and cultural life attitudes which views women as being subordinate to men.

Gender in equality still exists in various fields of life and has an impact on the occurrence of women problems in all concerned area,

Violence against women in general and domestic violence in particular has, until now, not been brought up very often.

The police established Police Women’s Desk in Jakarta. It is intended to respond the need to enforce the law and to accommodate the needs of women’s victims of violence.

Therefor, there is a need for a systematic program to achieve a change in law, which in its turn can be expected to initiate social change.

Attempt for change at the regulation level should also be followed by attempts to make law enforcers responsive and sensitive towards women's interest.