The UNFPA’s influence on Indonesian Governmental response regarding gender-based violence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Gender-based violence has been a long-standing national issue in Indonesia, but the COVID-19 Pandemic has caused new challenges in GBV responses by the Indonesian Government, such as physical distancing directives that increase difficulties in accessing vital help services. Consequently, it is expected that an intergovernmental organization such as the UNFPA can influence the Indonesian Government’s GBV response to be more holistic. Thus, this research aimed to explore “How has the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) influenced the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (MOWECP) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women’s (NCVAW) actions regarding gender-based violence prevention and mitigation during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2021)?” Measurement of the UNFPA’s influence utilizes Mingst and Schechter’s assessment of an intergovernmental organization’s impact. By contextualizing GBV in Indonesia during the pandemic, findings show that the pandemic has created new challenges for effective governmental responses on GBV, requiring further assistance from the UNFPA. Examining the UNFPA’s positions on GBV through its programs in Indonesia and cooperation with the MOWECP and NCVAW showcases how their assistance to GBV programming and coordination has created a beneficial consultative relationship. Further, measuring the influence of the UNFPA towards the Indonesian Government’s GBV response at this time, whereby the role and function of the UNFPA during the pandemic did not change significantly due to needs that emerged from the systemic context and the organization’s position as an IGO. From this, the research found that the UNFPA’s influence towards the Indonesian Government’s response towards gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited to a certain extent, as it has maximized its position as an IGO to spread international values.