Women, children 'need better citizenship law'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Citizenship laws must become more gender-
\noriented and institutionally controlled to empower women to
\ncontrol their citizenships and their children's, observers said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
In a seminar on citizenship laws affecting women, East Java
\nlegislative council executive Ida Sampit Karo-Karo said that
\nthese measures would be recommended to help women determine their
\nrights to citizenship.<\/p>\n
The seminar reviewed the United Nations Convention on Women'
\nRights that Indonesia ratified 13 years ago.<\/p>\n
Under Indonesia's 1958 Marriage Law, a wife's legal status and
\nher child's right to citizenship in a mixed marriage are
\nrecognized under the foreign husband's citizenship.<\/p>\n
Ida said this law left little legal recourse for the woman and
\nchild regarding immigration, taxation and citizenship.<\/p>\n
She cited as an example the citizenship of the five-year-old
\nboy, Andreya Masaru Miyakoshi, the child of a mixed marriage
\nbetween Indonesian woman Atik Kristia Yuliani and her Japanese
\nhusband, Mitsuo Miyakoshi. The couple were married in Surabaya,
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
The couple divorced on Feb. 22, 1996. The Surabaya District
\nCourt said the child would be in the mother's custody until
\nAndreya could decide independently who to live with. The court
\nordered the father to pay Rp 250,000 (US$95) monthly in child
\nalimony.<\/p>\n
He has not paid alimony or prepared Andreya's Indonesian
\nresidency permit.<\/p>\n
Ida said that Andreya, whose residency permit had expired,
\nfaced deportation due to his father's Japanese citizenship.<\/p>\n
Ida said the 1958 Marriage Law did not comply with equality of
\nbasic rights for men and women under the 1945 Constitution as the
\noutdated law favored men.<\/p>\n
Deputy minister to the State Minister of Women's Roles, Wiek
\nWibadswo, said the 40-year-old citizenship law needed revision to
\nmeet the current demands.<\/p>\n
Wiek said the 1945 Constitution and enforcement of Law No.7
\n1984 gave a woman the right to secure, change and maintain her
\ncitizenship as well as her child's.<\/p>\n
A woman's ability to determine her citizenship affected her
\nproperty and inheritance rights, he said.<\/p>\n
He said the 1984 law covered 11 laws on marriage, workers'
\nrights, education, health, family welfare and the Criminal Code
\non violence against women including rape and sexual harassment.<\/p>\n
Wiek said after his presentation that his ministry had
\nassessed nine laws on marriage, health, population development
\nand workers' rights.<\/p>\n
Laws on citizenship for women and refinement of Articles 281
\nto 295 of the Criminal Code were under further assessment, he
\nsaid, adding that the articles covered sexual violence and
\nharassment against women.<\/p>\n
Director of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice,
\nNursyahbani Katjasungkana, said that Indonesia would discuss its
\nreport on the convention's implementation in January 1998 in New
\nYork, the United States.<\/p>\n
Nursyahbani said that the report would be discussed at a
\nmeeting with the UN Committee on Eradication of Discrimination
\nagainst Women to help the government.<\/p>\n
She said that a report on citizenship laws affecting children
\nfrom mixed marriages had not been included. A woman's right to
\ncare for her child did not match the 1958 law for mixed
\nmarriages, she said.<\/p>\n
She maintained that dual citizenship in mixed marriages would
\nnot apply in Indonesia. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/women-children-need-better-citizenship-law-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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