Female politicians 'sidelined'

Female politicians 'sidelined'

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Forty years after the government declared R.A. Kartini a national
heroine, Indonesian women are enjoying greater freedom and
equality with their male counterparts.

Politically minded women, however, complain they are being
sidelined by male-dominated political parties.

"Political parties enlist female legislative candidates just
to fulfill the requirements," said Farida Sulistyani, referring
to the April 5 legislative election.

Law No. 12/2003 on elections requires that 30 percent of
political parties' legislative candidates are women, an
affirmative measure aimed at boosting the role of women in
politics. However, there is no punishment for parties that do not
abide by the law.

Farida, from the Riau electoral district, was the Reform Star
Party's (PBR) third candidate for the House of Representatives
(DPR).

Farida, who is a lawyer, said the election law was not
effective because it did not oblige political parties to place
women in "secure" ranks. She was referring to the numbers given
to candidates which influence their chance of election. Number
one candidates, for example, have a greater chance of winning
than number two candidates.

Fellow female legislative candidate, Dewi Coryati of the
National Mandate Party (PAN), shared Farida's view, saying
political parties enlisted female legislative candidates as it
was required by law.

"I know 30 percent is too high, but parties should put 15 or
20 percent of female candidates in secure positions," she said.

Dewi, a veterinarian who ran as PAN' second seed from Bengkulu
for a seat in the House, said she and her female colleagues had
introduced a "female-voter-for-female-candidate" campaign in
rural areas of Bengkulu in a bid to increase votes for female
legislative candidates.

"We only started the program recently and the result has been
satisfactory. We plan to continue the program although the
election is already over," she said.

Almost 60 percent of over 147 million voters in the general
election this year were female. Dewi said most female voters in
the country were uneducated, rural women and the program would
boost their political awareness.

Both Farida and Dewi admitted the condition in the country was
not conducive to women's participation in politics. However, they
claimed female politicians performed better than male
politicians.

"The spirit of Kartini's fight is that women must unite to
play more active roles in politics. Indonesia needs more female
politicians in the House, in the local legislative councils and
in the government," Dewi said.

Indonesia will celebrate Kartini Day on April 21. Kartini is
perceived as a heroine who struggled for gender equality,
although some female activists still question the tragic personal
impact of her struggle.

Born in Jepara, Central Java, on April 21, 1879, Kartini was a
brilliant young woman from a noble family.

Women at that time had little access to education and most
dreamed only of finding a suitable husband. Kartini's thoughts --
including her opposition to polygamy and that a woman could
choose to remain single -- were made public after a series of
letters to Dutch female friends were published.

Despite her progressive ideas, Kartini gave in and agreed --
at her father's request -- to marry a 50-year-old man who already
had three wives and six children.

Kartini died at the age of 25, three days after giving birth
to her first son.