A woman as president

A woman as president

I would like to comment on the pros and cons of having a woman
as president for Indonesia.

Mrs. R.A. Kartini, a Javanese princess, fought for women's
rights in this country and we are grateful to her that to date
Indonesian women have a right to vote, get an academic title and
pursue a career. In R.A. Kartini's time women's rights were
nonexistent.

It is sad to see that there are still men in this country who
are so afraid of competition from women in every field of
expertise, especially the post of president. Islam-dominated
countries like Pakistan, Turkey and Bangladesh, have had lady
prime ministers in the past. Bangladesh still has one. So what is
wrong with this country?

Should we forever lag behind? Was Mrs. Kartini's struggle in
vain? I do not believe so. Look at Mrs. Miranda Gultom, for
example. I am also a fan of Mrs. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an excellent
person in her field of expertise. She is smart, self-confident,
scrupulous, sure of herself and I see her as a future minister of
foreign affairs.

It is sad that a number of men in our country are still
opposed to a woman president. These men obviously lack self-
confidence and use any silly little excuse to ban a woman from
becoming president.

L. VAN DER ZEE-OEHMKE

Jakarta