Disabled get double trouble

JAKARTA (JP): Disabled women face a double discrimination whammy from society, namely their disability and their gender, an activist says.

Mrs. Soegeng Soepari, the executive director of the National Welfare Council, said yesterday that such women often become dependent on others and called on government agencies, the private sector and the media to cooperate in garnering public support for the campaign to increase awareness about the disabled.

Soegeng was speaking at a press conference to announce the organization's plan to hold a one-day seminar on women with disabilities on Jan. 4, 1997. The event will be held at the Yayasan Penderita Anak Cacat building, Jalan Hang Lekiu III/19, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

It is expected that the seminar will help the organization, other activists and the government establish a policy to help disabled women integrate into society.

She said the policy would also be tied to an action program, ratified under a 1993 United Nations resolution, of the Decade of the Handicapped in Asia-Pacific 1993-2002.

Public awareness about disabled people has only come recently. "Disabled women, of which there are 500,000 in Indonesia, however suffer double discrimination from their gender and condition," Soegeng said.

The seminar, to be opened by Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno, will feature Moslem scholar Emil Salim, psychologist and assistant to the state minister of population, Yaumil Agoes Achir, Dr. Mulyono and two disabled women, Eva Rahmi Kasim and Ariani. State Minister of Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi will also give a speech. (01)