Women's political role still 'marginal'<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
After 10 years of implementing the declaration of the United
\nNations conference of women in Beijing, most Asian countries
\nincluding Indonesia have yet to meet the mandates, particularly
\nin increasing the numbers of women in positions of power.<\/p>\n
A discussion on the Beijing platform for action revealed that
\nin most Asian countries, women's representation in government and
\nparliament was still less than the 30 percent quota.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, there have been some improvements, including the
\nimplementation of affirmative action and regulations mandating
\nwomen's participation.<\/p>\n
Yet, women continue to be the silent majority, marginalized
\nfrom power structures and decision-making processes.<\/p>\n
Women activists said that aside from entrenched social and
\ncultural issues, reluctant political parties remain major
\nstumbling blocks in increasing women's political participation.<\/p>\n
Activist Ani Widyani Soetjipto referred to politician Eros
\nDjarot, leader of the Bull Nationalist Freedom Party (PNBK), who
\nonce asserted that politics was naturally a man's domain. Thus,
\naccording to such thinking, women entering politics went against
\nnature.<\/p>\n
\"It's still tough to change the internal mechanism of a
\nparty,\" said Ani, who launched her book Politik Perempuan Bukan
\nGerhana (Women Politics is not Eclipse) at the discussion.<\/p>\n
Legislator Aisyah Hamid Baidlowi from the Golkar Party said
\nthat women are always placed in less strategic positions, such as
\ntreasurers or deputies of social welfare issues.<\/p>\n
\"They think affirmative action is just a women's way of
\ngetting a position without fighting for it. They don't understand
\nthat it hasn't been a level playing field,\" said Aisyah, also an
\nadvisor on the House of Representatives' Women Caucus.<\/p>\n
She added that the House Speaker was reluctant to issue a
\ndecree officiating the caucus, saying that the latter was not
\npart of the House.<\/p>\n
\"There are also very few women placed in the House's special
\nand working committees. There should be a legally binding
\nsanction so that the quota can be pursued,\" Aisyah said.<\/p>\n
Activist and sociologist Francisia S.S.E. Seda, or Ery Seda,
\nsaid that the level of political familiarization for women is
\nstill low and few women are active as party cadres.<\/p>\n
Political leaders are mostly men, and in turn they tend to
\nnominate male candidates whom they believe have a greater
\npotential to win. Female candidates are only selected if they
\nhave a close connection with men in power.<\/p>\n
\"Political parties rarely assist women candidates to raise
\nfunds, while general elections require high outlays and funds,
\nand few women have independent resources to commit to this,\" Ery
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Lack of mobilization and an unwillingness or inability to
\nsupport each other, have also put women in a vulnerable position
\nand disadvantaged women in taking active stands in asserting and
\naiming to strengthen women's rights and needs.<\/p>\n
Thus, Ery said, it is necessary to provide training for women
\ncandidates in terms of organizational development, lobbying, and
\ncampaigning.<\/p>\n
\"It is also important to secure broad changes in the political
\nsystem, which can be done if the political parties are more
\ndemocratic,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She recommended more assistance be given to political parties
\nto be more gender sensitive. There is also a need to develop a
\ncritical mass of civil society organizations committed to improve
\nthe status of women.<\/p>\n
Other recommendations are to use existing cultural and
\nreligious institutions to increase awareness among people in
\nrural areas, as well as training women cadres at the grassroots
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
\"Political participation should not be assessed only in terms
\nof the number of representatives in the House or the
\nadministration, and political parties. The quality of women's
\npolitical engagement must also be strengthened.<\/p>\n
\"It's a long term challenge whose efforts depend on a multi-
\nstrategy approach that involves ministries, legislators,
\npolitical parties and civil society organizations,\" Ery said.<\/p>",
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