Feminists divided over 'disclosure'<\/p>\n
By Santi WE Soekanto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian women's activists are divided in
\ntheir opinion about the portrayal of a woman sexually harassing a
\nmale subordinate in the blockbuster film Disclosure.<\/p>\n
"This film is an attack on feminism," said Tati Krisnawati of
\nthe Kelompok Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity Group),
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Another prominent feminist, however, said the movie could
\ncontribute to feminist efforts to present a more complete picture
\nof women to society.<\/p>\n
"Discussion of female sexual harassment ... gives a more
\ncomplete picture of women. We're real people. We're not one-
\ndimensional human beings. We can be good or evil, as men are,"
\nmedia expert and columnist Debra H. Yatim said.<\/p>\n
"I believe it's (the development of) feminism which has
\nallowed discourse on women's multi-dimensionality, such as that
\nin the film," Debra said. "This film may in fact facilitate
\nhealthy discourse on the issue."<\/p>\n
"We know that sexual harassment can occur both ways, and that
\nthere are plenty of women in superior positions who harass their
\nmale subordinates," the former journalist added. "Women are not
\nalways the victims, and men are not always the villains."<\/p>\n
Debra said it was high time for society to stop looking at
\ngender relations in a "black or white" fashion and pigeonholing
\npeople in rigid sex roles. "If we're locked into myths about what
\nmen or women should and shouldn't be, or myths that only men can
\nbe the villains and only women can be victimized, and if we
\nsuppress (discussion of the issue) ... that's not healthy."<\/p>\n
The film, which is an adaptation of a novel of the same title
\nby best-selling author Michael Chrichton, has been screened to
\nfull movie houses in Indonesia during the past week.<\/p>\n
Conversations about the "possibility" or "impossibility" of a
\nwoman sexually harassing a man have been going on in offices and
\nother places.<\/p>\n
Sita Aripurnami Kayam, a prominent advocate of women's rights,
\nsaid the controversy may have arisen because the "villain" is a
\nbeautiful woman who's seeking revenge against a man who scorned
\nher, using "ways which are traditionally men's".<\/p>\n
"In the end, the woman loses," she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"This discussion about a woman harassing a man is not about
\nsex," said Sita, who is a psychologist by training. "It's
\nactually about a power play."<\/p>\n
Legislator Linda Agum Gumelar of the House of Representatives'
\nCommission VIII, which oversees, among other things, women's
\naffairs, said sexual harassment is deplorable, no matter who the
\nperpetrator is.<\/p>\n
As for sexual harassment by women, Linda believes it's
\nsomething of a rarity in this country. "I think only a few
\n(women) do it," she said. "We're Indonesians, and here, women and
\nmen should respect one another."<\/p>\n
Neither Sita, Debra, Linda nor Tati have seen the movie, but
\nthey have all read either the book or reviews about the film.<\/p>\n
Directed by Barry Levinson, Disclosure features Demi Moore as
\nand Michael Douglas as Meredith Johnson and Tom Sanders,
\ncolleagues in a computer company called Digicom, which designs CD
\nRoms and electronic databases.<\/p>\n
According to one reviewer, "Meredith is a virtual 'square peg
\nin a round hole' but becomes the head of the technical division
\nby plundering her physical faculties where her mental ones fail".<\/p>\n
In one scene, Meredith, in her capacity as boss, suggests to
\nSanders an after-office-hours meeting to prepare for a business
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Meredith's attempt to seduce Tom ends in failure, leaving her
\nfeeling bitter and humiliated. She then complains of having been
\nassaulted by Sanders. Sanders fights back, initiating a legal
\naction against Meredith for sexual harassment and against the
\ncompany for siding with her and threatening to have him removed.<\/p>\n
Both Tati and Sita are in agreement that the issue that needs
\nto be addressed is not the harassment itself, but the unbalanced
\nrelationship between women and men and the quest for one-
\nupmanship and power.<\/p>\n
"This is about competition for power, no matter who the
\nperpetrator is," Sita said. "In the case of the film itself, this
\nparticular woman is humiliated and tries to take her revenge
\nusing male methods."<\/p>\n
A Jakarta office worker who has read the book and seen the
\nmovie agreed that sexual harassment is actually about power play,
\nabout powerful people asserting their muscles over the powerless.<\/p>\n
"Actually, the film is a bit of a let-down," Rini said. "The
\nbook is more rewarding and reveals the complicated means,
\nincluding the sexual harassment stuff, by which a person attempts
\nto get a competitor out of the way."<\/p>\n
"The intricacy does not come out in the movie, probably
\nbecause of time and other constraints," she said.<\/p>\n
Interestingly enough, Tati, who is known for her sharp
\ncomments on abuses of women's rights, says she would be willing
\nto speak up on behalf of male victims of sexual harassment.<\/p>\n
"I'd do it, because what's to be deplored here is the
\nimbalance in the relations between men and women," she said.<\/p>\n
Sita took a more cautious stance on the issue. "I would be
\nwilling to speak up on behalf of male victims, but I would be
\nrather more careful and would examine the background of the so-
\ncalled sexual harassment," she said.<\/p>\n
"There are men who can't accept the changing roles of women
\nand see their more assertive ways of dealing with them as
\nimpropriety," Sita said. "I still believe that only a few men
\nhave been subjected to sexual harassment by women," she said.<\/p>",
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