A smart book for women to enter politics

A smart book for women to enter politics

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hopefully the field of politics will seem more attractive to
women after the launching of a book titled Modul Perempuan Untuk
Politik: Sebuah Panduan Tentang Partisipasi Perempuan Dalam
Politik (Module for Women in Politics: A Guidebook on Women's
Participation in Politics).

Women interested in politics can find explanations on current
issues, such as reproductive health, family welfare, child
protection, sexual violence, women and child trafficking, and
affirmative action such as the 30 percent quota for women in the
legislature in the 82-page book.

The book, published by Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan (Women's
Journal Foundation) and funded by The Australian Agency for
International Development (AusAID), says those specific issues
can be effectively addressed by women.

"That's why Indonesia needs more woman politicians and women
who are concerned on those issues. It should be started now! Who
is concerned about the fate of women other than women? Hoping
that men will become concerned about the matter is a dream," the
foundation's executive director, Adriana Venny, said in the
book's introduction.

Adriana said women's politics was about simple and daily
affairs, including what food to put on the table while the
husband in engrossed in gambling; or how to pay school fees and
the rights of a woman whose husband has remarried.

The book also gives a background on why politics sidelined
women in the past, and until now to a certain degree, and why
women are not interested in politics.

In a patriarchal society, politics is basically considered as
a public domain and women are expected to take care mainly of the
domestic domain. Women are discriminated against politically,
socially and culturally.

Discrimination is still going on although Indonesia has
ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Law No. 7/1984.

To eradicate the discrimination and change state policies,
which are unfair to women, women can take advocation measures
through four fora; the legislative branch of the government, the
executive branch of the government, public organizations and
media.

Generally, women can change such public policies by becoming
members of political parties or members of the legislative; or
joining non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The book listed several issues for women both in NGOs and the
legislative body should fight for; domestic violence, women's
health, elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination, review
of marriage law and migrant worker protection.

It also provided a list of women who were elected as members
for the House of Representatives and Regional Representatives
Council (DPD) during the April 5 legislative election.

Aiming to attract women into politics, the book also listed
several international women leaders and their contributions to
politics, such as Elisabeth Domitien of The Republic of Central
Africa, Sirimavo Bandaraneike of Sri Lanka, Vigdis Finbogadottir
of Iceland, Margaret Thatcher of England and Golda Meir of
Israel.

Generally, this is an inspiring book for women who want to
enter politics.