Gender equality threatens men's positions: Activist

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok, Thailand

The movement for gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia was restrained by fears that women would take over men in decision making positions, noted women's activist and sociologist Saparinah Sadli said over the weekend.

"What men are concerned about is that there will be an overwhelming number of women taking over important positions. It's true that they (men) feel threatened by us," she said on the sidelines of the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) in Bangkok.

The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) chairwoman said men who opposed the demanded affirmative action for women usually did not have a full understanding of it.

"They must understand, and we must make them understand that the 30 percent quota is not something that has to be achieved overnight. It is a temporary measure and requires a process," she said, adding the word "quota" was inappropriate as it implied a given position.

The 30 percent participation of women in decision-making positions was the internationally accepted percentage that would ensure that women's interests were adequately represented, she said.

Despite the fact the president is a woman, the representation of women in the legislature is still low at about eight percent compared to the total number of women in Indonesia (103.4 million).

The more important implication of the affirmative action, according to Saparinah, was that women were given the same opportunity as men to compete for decision-making positions.

According to the newly amended constitution, women and men can not be discriminated against in law and in government rules and regulations. They have the right to work and earn a reasonable income.

However, in reality, women still face many disadvantages and discrimination in the fields of law, education, health, employment and decision making, both in the family and in the public arena, according to the Indonesia country report to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ESCAP).

"Equality we may say that we have it already, but access to it is often hampered because of ingrained discrimination," Saparinah said, explaining that in many institutions the upgrading and retraining of employees still gave the priority to men so that opportunities for women to achieve higher positions were hindered.

Also, the socio-cultural norms and values in the society placed women in a subordinate position, which inevitably affected the position and status of women in both private and public spheres.

"It has to be forced on, that's through an affirmative action, if there is competition for scholarship, for example, at least 30 percent of candidates should be women. Not the scholarship itself, but candidates who compete for the scholarship," Saparinah said.

Many men also failed to understand that gender equality did not mean a 50:50 ratio, and that due to their biological needs, certain rights should be given to women such as the right for maternity leave, Saparinah said.

"Equality doesn't mean that there is no differences, because women's needs are different from men's and they aren't usually recognized. A woman needs to recover after giving birth, for example, in which case she needs maternity leave."

Saparinah told the conference that the absence of temporary special measures or affirmative action, particularly for increased representation of women in public decision-making bodies, both at legislative and executive levels, were some of the persistent obstacles that women still faced.

"Another serious issue that has traditionally compounded the problem is the lack of participation and responsibility on the part of the majority of males in the areas of reproductive health and family life."