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)