Domestic Violence, Islam and Gender in Indonesia

Based on extensive original research, this book explores how the Indonesian Anti-Domestic Violence Law is understood and applied in practice. Drawing on an in-depth case study from the province of Aceh, the book canvasses informal and formal help-seeking avenues for domestic violence victims, including via religious and criminal courts. It is concluded that victim legal rights are currently not well understood or protected in practice, largely due to help-seeking processes being densely gendered and discriminatory against women. Most cases of domestic violence continue to go unreported; cases that are reported are generally mediated informally through adat (customary) justice avenues at the community level; and victims who seek help at the religious and criminal courts continue to face significant barriers to access to justice. Providing an important overview of the current legal and socio-legal systems relevant to domestic violence in Indonesia, this book will be of keen interest to students and scholars of Islamic, gender and Asian studies.