East Java govt to help divorcees

East Java govt to help divorcees

SURABAYA (JP): The East Java government has decided to provide
training and Rp 200,000 (US$44) in business capital to every
divorced woman or widow in the province, in an effort to curb
prostitution.

Head of the provincial office of social services Nandi
Sugandhi revealed the plan here yesterday after meeting with East
Java Governor Basofi Soedirman.

"The main target (of the project) are young divorcees and
widows who are vulnerable to social ills," Nandi said. "They are
easily trapped into prostitution... because of economic
difficulties."

There are an estimated 120,000 widows or divorcees in the
province.

Family Welfare Movement activists and Dharma Wanita -- the
organization of civil servants' wives or female employees -- will
select the divorcees or widows from across the province to be
included in the project.

Regions in East Java which are considered most prone to social
problems include Blitar and Trenggalek.

The women, Nandi said, will be trained in beauty care, sewing
or cooking. They are expected to start a business of their own
with the money given to them.

"Unfortunately, the government is only able to help 100 women
in the first year of this project," Nandi said.

He expressed concern at the high number of financially
strapped young divorcees and widows involved in prostitution,
while the local administration could not do more to help.

The project is being launched to mark National Social
Solidarity Day on Dec. 20. Basofi Soedirman applauded the
initiative, saying: "It's now time for us to treat social
problems in a realistic manner. Rather than passing the blame, we
should help those facing economic difficulties with something
concrete."

In their book Pelacuran di Indonesia (Prostitution in
Indonesia, 1994), Terrence H. Hull, Endang Sulistyaningsih and
Gavin W. Jone said that East Java has 14,190 sex workers -- the
highest number compared to other regions. There are an estimated
71,281 prostitutes in Indonesia.

Of the 14,190 sex workers in East Java, about 5,000 are
scattered in five red-light districts in Surabaya. (nur)