Activists to cite reproductive rights at Beijing meeting

Activists to cite reproductive rights at Beijing meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian women activists are preparing to
campaign for women's reproductive rights at the United Nations
Conference on Women in Beijing next month, though they hope to
steer clear of the issue of sexual rights.

Kuraesin Sumhadi, deputy chair of the Indonesian Congress of
Women (Kowani), told reporters here Tuesday that her organization
will join the NGO (non-governmental organization) Forum, to be
held in connection with the conference, to push for women and
their roles in development policies, education, health, human
rights and politics. It is likely also that the question of
women's reproductive rights will be raised, either in relation to
the question of health rights or sexual rights.

Regarding women's reproductive rights, Sumhadi said,"We won't
focus our attention on the question of sexual rights...but we'll
link the campaign for women's reproductive rights to health
issues and the right to determine one's family size."

Sumhadi, who is also president of the International Council of
Women, likened the controversy surrounding reproductive rights to
the abortion debate.

"We don't see abortion as a means to control population
growth. Rather, we see it as a woman's right to have medical
procedures to save her life," she said.

"We won't be dragged into controversies with those who see
reproductive rights as the rights to sexual preference, we won't
(recognize the notion to link the drive for reproductive rights)
to gay rights," she added.

Link

"If people wish to see being lesbian or having lesbian
relationships as women's rights, they may do so, but they should
not link it to the question of a family system," Sumhadi said.

Sumhadi explained that women's organizations here base their
campaigns for women's rights on existing laws and on the state
ideology of Pancasila. The 1993 Family Law, for instance, clearly
defines a family as a unit of society which consists of husband
and wife and their children, though it does legally recognize
other family situations headed up by widows and divorcees, for
example.

The Family Law does not, however, cover the rising phenomenon
of non-married single parents or the concept of a gay couple
raising a family.

Kowani chairman Enny Busiri said her organization has been
entrusted by the Ministry of Women's Roles to coordinate a number
of Indonesian NGOs that will attend the Aug. 27 - Sept. 8 NGO
Forum. At least 140 Indonesian activists are scheduled to join
35,000 other delegates at the meeting in Huairo, a suburb 50
kilometers outside of the capital.

At the fourth UN Conference on Women, from Sept. 4 to Sept.
14, representatives from some 180 countries are expected to
deliberate on a "platform for action" and to have it ready for
adoption by the end of the meeting.

After a number of preliminary meetings, the conference has
agreed to focus on 10 "critical areas of concern" that have been
identified as obstacles to the advancement of women in the world.

Among those areas are poverty, violence against women, human
rights, economic disparity and conflicts, armed or otherwise,
that victimize women.

The conference is also expected to set an agenda for the
advancement of women at national and international levels into
the next century. (swe)