Meet Sugiarsi, The Woman Who Helped 700 Victims of Violence

GO.KOMPAS.com - Sugiarsi, an 81-year-old woman, has been providing assistance to victims of violence against women and children in Sragen District, Central Java, Indonesia for 20 years.

She has helped resolve a total of 701 cases, with the majority of cases involving domestic violence, amounting to 443 cases.

Sugiarsi provides psychological and legal support, acts as a therapist, and assists in problem-solving, including helping the police to handle cases of violence against women.

Sugiarsi is an inspiration to us all, proving that age should never be a limiting factor. At the remarkable age of 62, she founded Aliansi Peduli Perempuan Sukowati (APPS) in Sragen, an organization devoted to empowering women.

Her previous experience at the National Population and Family Planning Agency provided her with valuable skills that she utilized in her work at APPS.

Sugiarsi's unwavering dedication paid off on October 1, 2004, when APPS was established, and it has since made a tremendously positive impact on the lives of women in the Sragen region, located roughly 40 kilometers from Solo.

Sugiarsi who is familiarly called Mami, now 81 years old, is renowned for her unwavering commitment towards helping victims of violence against women and children.

She takes on almost all cases, including domestic violence, rape, human trafficking, and child pornography, and provides essential assistance to the victims.

Mami vividly recalls that the first case in which APPS provided assistance was related to domestic violence (KDRT) in 2005.

This case was deemed successful, and as a reult, APPS was entrusted with handling various cases of violence against women and children.

Over the course of her 20-year tenure at APPS, Mami has effectively assisted in a total of 443 domestic violence cases, 83 rape cases, 145 sexual abuse cases, 6 human trafficking cases, 20 bullying cases, and 2 pornography cases.

APPS upholds the values of rehabilitating, reintegrating, and refunctionalizing victims of violence against women and children.

“These values are essential in empowering survivors and preventing recurring violence,” said Sugiarsi.

As a non-governmental organization, APPS relies solely on self-sustenance as they receive minimal funding from the government.

Although they have received funding in the past, most of their financial support comes from Corporate Social Responsibility assistance from companies that share their vision.