Centers seek quota for women in govt<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Eighty women's studies centers around the
\ncountry have joined forces to demand that women be given a
\nproportional representation in the government.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the centers also rejected the plan by
\ncertain Islamic organizations to bar women from becoming the
\ncountry's president.<\/p>\n
\"We reject the view that the president or Indonesian leaders
\nmust be male because it contravenes principles of human rights
\nand the national constitution,\" the group said in a joint
\nstatement issued at their meeting in Bogor on Nov. 25.<\/p>\n
\"We want the political rights of women to be fully respected.
\nWe believe that there should be a proportional quota of women in
\nboth the executive and legislative branches of the government,\"
\nthe groups said in a statement made public on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
They did not state the exact proportion, but official
\nstatistics show that 51 percent of the country's population is
\nfemale.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Ulemas Council, the country's highest Islamic
\norganization, has come under strong pressure from some Islamic
\norganizations to issue an edict announcing that women should not
\nbe allowed to become the country's president.<\/p>\n
The issue was raised by these groups during last month's
\nIslamic national congress, but they failed to secure enough
\nsupport to have the stipulation included in the final statement
\nissued by the congress.<\/p>\n
There are only two female ministers currently serving in
\nPresident B.J. Habibie's cabinet, and women make up less than 10
\npercent of members in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's first
\npresident Sukarno and the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) Perjuangan, is seen as one of the strongest
\ncontenders in next year's presidential election.<\/p>\n
The centers called for the establishment of watchdog
\norganizations to prevent discriminative and unjust practices
\nagainst women both at national and local levels. They said they
\nwere willing to use their expertise to help these groups.<\/p>\n
They also called on the government to investigate cases of
\nrape in Aceh, Jakarta, East Timor, Irian Jaya, Surakarta (Solo),
\nSurabaya and elsewhere, including Indonesian workers abroad.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/centers-seek-quota-for-women-in-govt-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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