Ilustrasi. Foto: Komnas Perempuan Says Population Policy Must Not Target Women
Komnas Perempuan has called on the Indonesian government to stop treating women as the main target of population control policies, arguing that demographic policy should prioritize human rights, gender equality, and social justice instead. In a statement marking World Population Day 2026, the commission said population management must protect women’s rights across their life cycle rather than focus narrowly on fertility rates or contraceptive use.
The commission said current approaches still place women’s bodies, wombs, and reproductive choices at the center of population policy. It warned that programs that place most of the contraceptive burden on women reinforce the idea that reproduction is solely women’s responsibility. Commissioner Chatarina Pancer Istiyani said fair population policy is one that allows women to decide over their own bodies freely, safely, and with dignity.
Komnas Perempuan also tied the issue to wider structural problems facing women in Indonesia. Citing Statistics Indonesia data, it noted that the population had reached 288.3 million by the end of 2025, while maternal mortality remained high at 144 deaths per 100,000 live births. The group said child marriage, pregnancies at a young age, unwanted pregnancies, and unequal access to reproductive health services continue to threaten women’s rights, especially in remote and underdeveloped regions.
The commission further highlighted the scale of gender-based violence, saying its 2025 annual record showed 376,529 cases, up 14.07 percent from the previous year. Most of the cases were in the personal sphere, which the commission said reflects women’s vulnerability in marriage and family settings. Komnas Perempuan urged the government to strengthen men’s responsibility in reproductive health, contraception, and caregiving, while also expanding consent-based reproductive health services, reducing maternal deaths, and building gender-responsive social protection and care policies.
