Indonesian women stage skirt protest over rape remarks

The city governor had said women should not wear short skirts when using public transport

Dozens of Indonesian women wearing miniskirts have protested in Jakarta after the city governor blamed rapes on provocative clothing.

The activists carried signs reading "My miniskirt, my right" and "Don't tell us how to dress; tell them not to rape."

On Friday, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo warned females not to wear short skirts on public transport in order to avoid being raped.

He quickly apologised, but his comments were widely publicised.

Earlier this month a woman was gang-raped in a minivan in Jakarta late at night.

"We are here to express our anger. Instead of giving heavy punishment to the rapists, the governor blamed it on women's dress. This is discrimination," protest co-ordinator Chika Noya told AFP news agency.

There have been more than 100,000 cases of violence against women so far this year in Indonesia, 4% of which were rape cases, according to the country's National Commission for Women's Affairs.