Strengthening Legal Protection for Women and Children Victims of Social Conflict Based on Presidential Regulation Number 18 of 2014 Concerning the Protection and Empowerment of Women and Children in Social Conflict

Abstract

Women and children are among the groups most vulnerable to violence, displacement,
and the loss of basic protection whenever social conflict occurs in Indonesia. To respond to this
vulnerability, the Government enacted Presidential Regulation Number 18 of 2014 on the
Protection and Empowerment of Women and Children in Social Conflict as an implementing
regulation of Law Number 7 of 2012 on the Handling of Social Conflict. This study aims to
examine the strength of the legal protection framework provided by this Presidential Regulation
and to identify the obstacles that hinder its implementation in the field. The method used is
normative juridical research with a statute approach and a conceptual approach, supported by
primary and secondary legal materials analyzed qualitatively-descriptively. The results show
that Presidential Regulation Number 18 of 2014 has established a fairly comprehensive
normative framework, covering prevention, service provision, special protection, and the
empowerment of women and children through economic strengthening and involvement in
peacebuilding. However, its implementation still faces obstacles in the form of weak
coordination between the Central Coordination Team and regional working groups, limited
special budget allocation, minimal data on victims in conflict areas, and the absence of firm
sanctions for non-compliant agencies. This study concludes that the legal protection of women
and children in social conflict needs to be strengthened through harmonization of implementing
regulations, strengthening of the National Action Plan (RAN P3AKS), increased institutional
capacity at the regional level, and active community participation.