BWCC

The initiator of the KAPAS program, who is also the Director of LBH BWCC, Ni Nengah Budawati (holding the mic), delivers a speech (Photo: Diah)

Bali Tourism Now - Gender inequality and gender-based violence persist in society, making concrete action essential to address them. Raising awareness about women's rights to clean water and legal protection must be a priority.

“Based on this, the KAPAS program (Campaign and Advocacy for Women's Empowerment through Water in Bali) is organizing a public discussion titled Ending Gender-Based Violence: Perspectives on the Right to Water and Legal Access,” said KAPAS initiator Ni Nengah Budawati on Friday, February 14, 2025.

The public discussion was held at Kubu Bali WCC, Penatahan Village, Penebel District, Tabanan Regency, Bali. Its goal was to raise awareness of the importance of women's rights to clean water and legal protection.

Budawati, Director of the Bali Women Crisis Centre Legal Aid Institute (LBH BWCC), has been selected as a JusticeMakers Fellow under the 2024 JusticeMakers Women program.

The 2024 JusticeMakers Women program supports female criminal defense lawyers in advancing justice system reforms in Indonesia. “This initiative is led by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) and funded by the European Union,” she explained.

Budawati further highlighted that the KAPAS program was initiated in response to persistent inequalities in access to resources, particularly clean water. The lack of equitable access to water is often tied to the marginalization of women, reinforcing gender inequality.

Ni Ketut Sudiani presents the findings of LBH BWCC’s research on clean water access issues (Photo: Diah)

This also contributes to the vulnerability of women to gender-based violence (GBV). “PWomen in many communities play a central role in managing water for household needs,” she explained.

Inadequate access to water impacts health and increases the risk of both physical and emotional violence. Inequitable access to resources, such as clean water, reinforces cycles of discrimination. For example, in remote or rural areas, women often have to walk long distances to fetch water, which increases the risk of violence during the journey, as well as stress and tension at home due to the scarcity of resources.

“Increasing legal awareness and advocating for access to clean water are the main focuses of the KAPAS program, not only for women's empowerment but also to reduce the risk of gender-based violence through more equitable access to this essential resource,” she added.

Budawati further noted that the program also addresses various forms of gender-based violence beyond water access, including domestic, public, and social violence. “This includes providing legal assistance services,” she concluded.

The speaker at the discussion, Commissioner of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Veryanto Sitohang, emphasized that the state has an obligation to ensure fair and equitable access to clean water for women. He added that the disparity in access not only violates human rights but also exacerbates women's vulnerability to various forms of violence and discrimination.

Researcher from LBH BWCC, Ni Ketut Sudiani, presented the findings of LBH BWCC's research on clean water access within the framework of equitable and sustainable development.

Based on field findings from case studies conducted in Bangli Regency, the research concluded that addressing the disparity in water access is crucial and can be achieved through increased awareness and advocacy.

“We hope that the KAPAS program can serve as an action to protect women from violence resulting from structural inequality. Educating communities, especially women, about their rights to access clean water is key,” said Sudiani.

This, she added, is an important step toward promoting more inclusive and just policy changes. The discussion stressed the need to strengthen awareness and advocacy for women's right to clean water.

It also emphasized the importance of creating more equitable access and reducing gender-based violence. “Commitment to providing legal protection for women remains a crucial step in achieving positive change in society,” she concluded.