RI women still facing discrimination: Scholars<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Female scholars charged yesterday that
\nIndonesian law is still largely biased toward men and that 14
\nyears after the country ratified the United Nations convention on
\nwomen, gender discrimination is still prevalent.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar at Atma Jaya Catholic University
\non legal efforts to address discrimination against women, the
\nscholars said the problems were hampering the progress of women
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
The scholars were psychologist Saparinah Sadli and sociologist
\nT.O. Ihromi of the University of Indonesia and women's issues
\nexpert Achie Sudiarti Luhulima.<\/p>\n
They branded the No. 1\/1974 Marriage Law and the No. 25\/1997
\nManpower Law as being gender biased favoring men over women.<\/p>\n
They said the laws were against the UN Convention on the
\nElimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ratified
\nby Indonesia in 1984.<\/p>\n
Saparinah lamented the status given to women under the
\nmanpower law.<\/p>\n
\"Statutes regulating the protection of women are based on the
\nsocial definition about the relationship between men and women,
\nthat men are the head of the family and main earners.<\/p>\n
\"This means that if women work, they are only treated as
\nadditional family earners,\" she said in her paper.<\/p>\n
She argued that a 1994 National Social Economic Survey said in
\none out of seven households the woman was the primary bread
\nwinner was distorted as in three out of four of these households
\nthe women are widows.<\/p>\n
\"I agree that reform of male-female relations is needed, and
\nthat this must be echoed everywhere,\" she told around 60 seminar
\nparticipants.<\/p>\n
\"Gender blindness\" was to blame for the many policies created
\nthat were unfair to women, said Saparinah who is also a member of
\nthe National Commission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's seminar was organized by the Atma Jaya Catholic
\nUniversity and the University of Indonesia's center for women
\nstudies chaired by Saparinah.<\/p>\n
Saparinah admitted that the Convention Watch Working Group,
\nwhich she runs with her colleague T.O. Ihromi, had failed to get
\ntheir critical ideas into the manpower law when it was
\ndeliberated last year.<\/p>\n
Achie, however, said better protection could possibly be
\nensured by insisting the government establish a law to protect
\nmigrant workers.<\/p>\n
She said matters pertaining to the protection of women could
\nbe inserted through the drafting of such a law.<\/p>\n
Ihromi agreed, saying that many things could still be
\nadvocated with the UN convention used as a foundation to gauge
\nsocial conditions of women here.<\/p>\n
\"Many things can be done. Let's think of it not merely as
\ndoing it for women, but for the nation, or for the sake of our
\ndaughters' future,\" Ihromi said, closing the seminar. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-women-still-facing-discrimination-scholars-1447893297",
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