Ministries asked to recruit more women for high posts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After nine months in office the State Minister
\nfor the Empowerment of Women is gaining insight into why
\nher earlier appeals for ministries to recruit more women in high
\npositions has not met with results.<\/p>\n
Khofifah Indar Parawansa told The Jakarta Post Friday, \"When
\nthe ministries send their people to be educated for higher
\npositions, they are inclined to send men.\"<\/p>\n
Khofifah, who had attended a ministry meeting here, said she
\nhad sent letters to ministries to include at least 30 percent
\nwomen among their employees sent for further education.<\/p>\n
\"There is an embryo for (women) policy makers in their
\nrespective ministries,\" she said.<\/p>\n
In her first weeks in office Khofifah said that empowerment of
\nwomen required recruiting more women in decision making
\npositions.<\/p>\n
The state ministry has drawn up a draft for a presidential
\ninstruction on gender mainstreaming in every ministry to be
\nintegrated into various development programs.<\/p>\n
Among others, the instruction will compel ministries to
\nprovide a 30 percent quota for decision making positions to
\nwomen.<\/p>\n
Civil servants have to undergo additional education by the
\nNational Institute of Administration (LAN) before they can hold
\nhigher ranking positions.<\/p>\n
\"It turned out that LAN only (trains) people recommended by
\nministries,\" Khofifah said.<\/p>\n
A ministry official, Abdul Azis Hoesein, earlier said a reason
\nwhy mostly men were sent for further education was the view that
\nhigher positions would conflict with the role of women as mothers
\nand wives.<\/p>\n
Statistics from 1998 show that women holding the IV\/D rank or
\nechelon II, numbered 267 compared to 2,839 men, and those holding
\nthe highest rank IV\/E or echelon I numbered only 83 against 1,093
\nmen in the position.<\/p>\n
Last week women's rights activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana
\nstressed that giving women a quota for further education was not
\na way to privilege women over men.<\/p>\n
\"To achieve equality, men and women have to set off on the
\nsame footing first,\" the member of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly told the Post after addressing a seminar on women.<\/p>\n
For that purpose, affirmative actions like setting a quota for
\nwomen civil servants are needed, Nursyahbani added.<\/p>\n
The United Nations' Convention for the Elimination of All
\nForms of Discrimination Against Women states that \"the adoption
\nof temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto
\nequality between men and women shall not be considered
\ndiscrimination.\"<\/p>\n
It adds that the measures should be discontinued when the
\nobjectives have been achieved.<\/p>\n
The government ratified the convention in 1980 and agreed to
\nadhere to it through law no. 4\/1984, on which the above drafted
\npresidential instruction on gender mainstreaming is based. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministries-asked-to-recruit-more-women-for-high-posts-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}