Civil Expression Spaces Aren't Always Safe: Young People's Perspective on the Issues

According to a survey by the Yayasan Partisipasi Muda (Young Participation Foundation), several challenges hinder young people's access to open spaces as a means of civil liberties.

The biggest challenge is feeling uncomfortable or afraid to express opinions in public spaces such as social media, chosen by 74% of respondents.

Next is the lack of government protection when exercising youth rights, selected by 42% of respondents.

Fear of harassment or intimidation during peaceful gatherings was also felt by 36% of respondents, ranking third.

Other obstacles include limited access, discrimination, restrictions, and the lack of safe spaces for gathering. A complete list is as follows:

1. Feeling unsafe or afraid to express opinions and criticism in public spaces such as social media: 74%

2. Lack of government protection when exercising youth rights: 42%

3. Fear of harassment or intimidation during peaceful gatherings: 36%

4. Limited access to resources or support for youth-led activities: 32%

5. Discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, or religion: 25%

6. Restrictions in forming or joining certain groups: 19%

7. Lack of safe spaces for gathering or organizing: 16%

This survey involved 505 respondents aged 18-25. The majority of respondents across three regional zones were female, particularly in the central (61.9%) and western (55.4%) zones. Males were more prevalent in the eastern zone (45.1%). Non-binary and gender-diverse respondents were most prominent in the western zone.

The majority of respondents had a high school education (49.1%) and a bachelor's/D4 degree (44.8%), while the remainder were distributed across vocational education (3.2%), junior high school (2%), postgraduate studies (0.8%), and elementary school (0.2%).

Data was collected from November 2024 to March 2025 and published in the April 2025 edition.

(Read: Government Response to 9 Crucial Issues in the Eyes of Young People: Is it Good Enough?)