Women's affairs office protested<\/p>\n
REMBANG, Central Java (JP): Hundreds of female activists
\nstaged a rare demonstration near the grave of Indonesia's
\nemancipation pioneer R.A. Kartini, accusing the government of
\ndoing little to lift women's dignity.<\/p>\n
Members of the demonstration, organized by activists from
\nYogyakarta, Central Java, demanded that the ministry of women's
\nroles be dissolved for having failed to defend Indonesian women's
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
The protesters read poems, chanted slogans and held a mass
\nprayer for heroine Kartini, the daughter of a Rembang regent who
\nstruggled for the equal rights of men and women.<\/p>\n
The protest was held in conjunction with Kartini Day, which
\nfalls on April 21.<\/p>\n
Under the heavy presence of security officers, they also
\ndemanded that the government dissolve women's organizations like
\nDharma Wanita (the Association of Civil Servants' Wives), Dharma
\nPertiwi (association of military officers' wives) and Family
\nWelfare Movement (PKK) for the same reasons.<\/p>\n
Spokesperson for the demonstrators Ayu Lestari said that the
\nState Minister of Women's Role Mien Sugandhi has done next to
\nnothing to defend women and their concerns.<\/p>\n
She said that when an Indonesian maid, Wardiyati, suspiciously
\ndied in Singapore recently, Mien \"washed her hands of it.\"<\/p>\n
\"The minister of women's roles and the minister of manpower
\neach insisted that the incident was not their cup of tea,\" she
\nsaid. \"They turned it into a blaming game.\"<\/p>\n
The government, she said, has never genuinely raised the
\nsubstance of Kartini's concerns, such as how to defend the rights
\nof female workers and farmers as well as issues concerning child
\nprostitution and migrants.<\/p>\n
\"Contests for women like flower arranging, cooking and beauty
\ncontests...are sheer exploitation of women,\" she said. (har\/02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/womens-affairs-office-protested-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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