Observers welcome women ministers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers have welcomed the appointment of three
\nprominent women to the cabinet and have called on them to
\ncontinue promoting gender equality.<\/p>\n
Rudini, Lies Marcus and Wardah Hafidz agreed in separate
\ninterviews yesterday and Sunday that great challenges lay ahead
\nfor new Minister of Social Services Siti Hardijanti Rukmana,
\nState Minister of Women's Roles Tutty Alawiah and Minister of
\nAgriculture Justika Sjarifudin Baharsjah.<\/p>\n
Rudini, a former minister of home affairs who now chairs the
\nInstitute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia (LPSI), took special
\nnote of the appointment of Hardijanti, who is also President
\nSoeharto's eldest daughter. He said he did not see nepotism
\nbehind the appointment.<\/p>\n
\"We should not just view her as the daughter of the
\nPresident,\" he said. \"We also have to admit that she has indeed
\nmade some achievements in the field of social services.\"<\/p>\n
Hardijanti, who is better known as Mbak Tutut, is a successful
\nbusinesswoman and has been active for years in various charities
\nas well as activities involving youths. She is also deputy
\nchairwoman of the dominant Golkar political grouping.<\/p>\n
Rudini named several ministers he said were \"the best people
\nfor the posts,\" including Justika and new Coordinating Minister
\nfor People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication\/Chairman of National
\nPlanning Board Haryono Suyono.<\/p>\n
Rudini said the new ministers must work hard to restore public
\nconfidence in the government. \"They should be disciplined and act
\nas the people's servants,\" he said. \"Otherwise, they shouldn't
\ntalk about eradicating corruption and practices of collusion in
\nthe country.\"<\/p>\n
Lies Marcus, a researcher and trainer at the Center for
\nEducation and Development of Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools)
\nand Community, said Tutty Alawiyah should broaden her horizons to
\nbetter see the scope of problems affecting women from all walks
\nof life and different religious backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Tutty is better known as a Moslem preacher, a Golkar cadre and
\nthe manager of an orphanage.<\/p>\n
\"Tutty has so far been exclusively in a conventional Moslem
\nenvironment, particularly in the Majelis Taqlim (women's Islamic
\nstudies clubs), and she comes from a privileged Betawi (native
\nJakarta) family,\" Lies said.<\/p>\n
\"She has been saying that there are no problems for women
\nhere, which I say is very wrong and naive,\" Lies said.<\/p>\n
\"There is a very clear problem of discrimination against women
\nhere,\" Lies insisted. \"For instance, while factory wages may be
\nthe same for both sexes, women take on a bigger burden because
\nnot only are they responsible for domestic chores, but they also
\noften work overtime because it is the only way to get enough
\nincome.\"<\/p>\n
Tutty's office must pay attention to addressing this
\nstereotype of women as wives and mothers, because it leads to
\nthis \"triple burden\", Lies said.<\/p>\n
\"Tutty, for one, has been saying it is okay for women to go
\nout and work as long as they do not forget their kodrat, God-
\ngiven destiny. It is not that simple,\" she added.<\/p>\n
\"The earlier office of state minister of women's roles under
\nMien Sugandhi had begun to publicly promote the meaning of
\nequality. Ibu Tutty must continue this,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Wardah Hafidz concurred.<\/p>\n
\"Mien used to do bizarre things, like changing the acronym of
\nTKW to Nakerwan, both meaning women workers, but she was still
\nopen to ideas,\" she said. (imn\/anr)<\/p>",
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