SDG 5.6.2: UNESA recognises gender identity in its non-discrimination policy

Gender Equality UNESA Sustainable Development Goals Center

UNESA recognises gender identity in its non-discrimination policy

UNESA SDGs Center · 20 October 2026

*Participants of the national workshop Mewujudkan Kampus Sehat, Aman, dan Inklusif, hosted by Universitas Negeri Surabaya on 29 and 30 October 2025. (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik, 2025)*

Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) recognises gender identity in its non-discrimination policy through Rector's Regulation (Peraturan Rektor) Number 11 of 2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Violence, issued on 3 May 2024. UNESA names remarks that discriminate against or harass a person's gender identity as the first form of sexual violence, and applies this rule to every student, lecturer and staff member (Rector, 2024b). Because the protection rests on gender identity rather than on sex alone, it covers transgender students and staff, and those who breach it face academic, administrative or disciplinary sanctions. UNESA kept applying the regulation in 2025 and 2026.

Policy basis

Policy	Detail
Title	Peraturan Rektor Universitas Negeri Surabaya Nomor 11 Tahun 2024 tentang Pencegahan dan Penanganan Kekerasan di Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Title (English)	Rector's Regulation of Universitas Negeri Surabaya Number 11 of 2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Violence at Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Number	11 Tahun 2024
Date set	2024-05-03
Date reviewed	-

Pasal 9 ayat (2) huruf a, c, e dan l

"a. menyampaikan ujaran yang mendiskriminasi atau melecehkan tampilan fisik, kondisi tubuh, dan/atau identitas gender Korban; c. menyampaikan ucapan yang memuat rayuan, lelucon, yang bernuansa seksual pada Korban; e. mengirimkan pesan, lelucon, gambar, foto, audio, dan/atau video bernuansa seksual kepada Korban meskipun sudah dilarang Korban; l. menyentuh, mengusap, meraba, memegang, memeluk, mencium dan/atau menggosokkan bagian tubuhnya pada tubuh Korban tanpa persetujuan Korban;"

Article 9 paragraph (2) letter a, c, e and l: a. making remarks that discriminate against or harass the victim's physical appearance, bodily condition and/or gender identity; c. making remarks containing seduction or jokes of a sexual nature to the victim; e. sending messages, jokes, pictures, photos, audio and/or video of a sexual nature to the victim although the victim has forbidden it; l. touching, stroking, groping, holding, hugging, kissing and/or rubbing one's body against the victim's body without the victim's consent.

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity

Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity through Rector's Regulation Number 11 of 2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Violence, which lists, as the first form of sexual violence, making remarks that discriminate against or harass a person's physical appearance, bodily condition and/or gender identity (identitas gender) (Article 9(2)(a)). UNESA enforces academic, administrative and disciplinary sanctions for such conduct (Article 9(3)). UNESA applies the regulation to all lecturers, students, education staff and every person working on campus (Article 1(10)), and its principles include respect for human dignity and justice and gender equality (Article 3(a) and (c)) (Rector, 2024b).

Staff of UNESA's Centre for Inclusion and Equality Mainstreaming (PPIS), including its head of prevention and intervention, led sessions at the national workshop Mewujudkan Kampus Sehat, Aman, dan Inklusif (Building Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Campuses) that Universitas Negeri Surabaya hosted on 29 and 30 October 2025 for 116 participants from 48 universities (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik, 2025).

Covers inappropriate sexual behaviour

Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) prohibits inappropriate sexual behaviour through the same regulation, which lists 26 forms of sexual violence, including sexual remarks, flirting or jokes, sexual stares, sending sexual messages or images, exposing one's genitals, and touching, hugging or kissing without consent (Article 9(2)) (Rector, 2024b). On 7 August 2025 the task force told campus security officers that discriminatory attitudes towards students are not allowed and published its reporting channels (Satgas PPKPT, 2025).

UNESA kept teaching these rules in 2026. On 18 August 2026 UNESA Campus 5 in Magetan taught thousands of new students the six categories of violence banned in higher education, among them sexual violence and discrimination and intolerance, at a session led by Dr. Diyah Puspitarini of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), who also explained that the task force (Satgas PPKPT) keeps the identity of victims and witnesses confidential (Kampus 5 Unesa, 2026a). On 19 August 2026 the campus introduced new students to the same six forms of violence and to its support and counselling services (Kampus 5 Unesa, 2026b).

Timeline4 events