Fall in number of women councilors 'saddening'
Fall in number of women councilors 'saddening'
JAKARTA (JP): A noted scholar lamented yesterday the decrease
in women councilors from 12 during the previous term to eight.
All 75 new councilors were sworn in by chief of the Jakarta
High Court, Soegiarto, on behalf of Chief Justice Sarwata, in a
special plenary session yesterday.
Saparinah Sadli, chairperson of the Women Studies Program at
the University of Indonesia's Post Graduate School, said the
decrease in women councilors was "saddening".
"How can women prove there's a partnership between men and
women, as highly stated, if we're not given the attention and the
opportunities. This is a setback," Saparinah told The Jakarta
Post.
During the May 29 general election, the three contestants --
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), the United Development
Party (PPP) and Golkar -- competed for 60 council seats. The 15
other seats were reserved for the Armed Forces (ABRI), whose
members did not vote.
PPP won 20 council seats, Golkar 39 and PDI one.
However, only eight of 75 council seats were allotted to women
councilors for the 1997 to 2002 office term.
Saparinah said women had the same ability as men and, even
though no laws discriminated against them, women's political
opportunities were limited.
Many voiced the need to raise women's participation in
politics, she said.
"However, conditions are not as we had expected. The number of
women councilors decreased, even though half the voters in the
city are women," Saparinah said.
According to City Population Agency data from 1994, out of the
city's 7.6 million people, 3.6 million were women.
She said that, according to the country's guidelines, women's
participation in politics should be increased and there should be
a partnership between men and women.
"So all that stuff about participation is nonsense," said
Saparinah, who is also a member of the National Commission on
Human Rights.
As a result, women's roles in determining the municipality's
policies, including voicing women's needs and fighting for their
interests, would decrease too, she said.
"Women's interests are different from men's. With the decrease
of women councilors to represent them, there will be less
attention and opportunities given to them," Saparinah said.
State Minister of Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi, who is one of
two women ministers in the current 39-member cabinet, earlier
raised concern over the limited opportunities given to women
involved in politics.
The eight women councilors are Chisbiyah Rochim, Faizah
Fachruddin and Mulyaningsih, of PPP, and Widami Daryoto, Silviana
Murni, Misnar Ma'roef Bachtiar, Wien Ritola and Ida Noor of
Golkar.
Of the 12 women councilors who previously served on the
council, one was from PPP, six from Golkar, three from PDI and
one from ABRI. (ste)