Conservatism still a 'major hurdle' in gender equality<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Muslim clerics continue to be one of the major stumbling blocks
\nin gender equality in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim
\ncountry, hence moderate Muslim leaders need to do more to change
\nthe conservative mind-set.<\/p>\n
Legislator and former state minister for women's empowerment
\nKhofifah Indar Parawansa said Indonesia could learn from Iran,
\nwhose president was active in pushing for revolutionary change
\namong conservative ulema and society.<\/p>\n
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was praised for his
\nintervention in relations between husband and wife, placing them
\non an equal footing in marriage instead of recognizing the man as
\nthe sole breadwinner and head of the family.<\/p>\n
\"He has promoted training for civil registration office heads,
\nso that they can indoctrinate new families. Khatami has also
\ngathered all the ulema to 'brainwash' their mind-set, and
\nconsolidate non-governmental organizations to spread the
\ncampaign,\" Khofifah said at a book launch and discussion of
\nKembang Setaman Perkawinan (The Garden of Marriage) on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The policy has proven effective in improving women's position
\nin marriage and society in Iran. Women's representation in
\nparliament there, for instance, reached 16 percent.<\/p>\n
Here, according to Khofifah, there are too many rules and
\nregulations, but poor implementation to boost gender equity has
\nmade it ineffective.<\/p>\n
Patriarchal religious teachings entrenched in the society also
\nstrengthen women's subordination, and even domestic violence, as
\na husband is taught that he is allowed to hit his wife if she is
\ndisobedient.<\/p>\n
As the result, domestic violence is still rampant and women
\nremains second-class citizens and among the vulnerable groups in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Khofifah cited as an example the maternal death rate in the
\ncountry, one of the highest in Asia, which is often due to
\nindecisive pregnant wives.<\/p>\n
\"They know something is wrong with their pregnancy, yet they
\ndo not dare make a decision to go to the hospital because their
\nhusbands aren't home,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She added that it has been a goliath task to approach ulema
\nand train them to be more gender sensitive. Many of them even
\nrefused to come to the training, or were furious and called the
\nactivists \"infidels\".<\/p>\n
Former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid encountered
\nsuch a reaction when her team wrote a book, a critical analysis
\non Uqud Al-Lujjayn, the book on Islamic law which is taught in
\nIslamic boarding schools all over in the country. She and many
\nwomen activists perceived the old book as negating women.<\/p>\n
\"The content of the book may be relevant to the situation
\ncenturies ago when women were helpless. But now, it's no longer
\nrelevant. However, many ulema became angry and called us
\napostates who want to tarnish Islamic teachings,\" Sinta told the
\nsame discussion.<\/p>\n
According to Muslim scholar M. Sobary, such a powerful
\ninstitution as the ulema must also clash with another powerful
\ninstitution, namely the government.<\/p>\n
\"Authority must be faced with authority. That's why, for
\ninstance, only people with a respected position such as a former
\nfirst lady dares to defy the ulema,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Khofifah admitted that it was very difficult to fight against
\nconservative ulema but the campaign to introduce them to gender
\nsensitive issues was important. \"If it fails now, we're aiming
\nfor the next generation.\"<\/p>",
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