Gus Dur blames govt for women's low political role

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday blamed the government for Indonesian women's limited role in politics.

"The women's role is still insignificant," he told a seminar on women and politics. He pointed out the government determines what constitutes politics, and it has apparently decided that women's affairs are not politics.

He cited the Minister of Women's Roles office as an example of the limits set by the government, which shows that women do not have enough leeway to move into politics.

Abdurrahman, better-known as Gus Dur, said the focus of the office on "women's affairs such as sewing, cooking and other domestic roles" only fortifies the limitation already imposed.

"As if research, technology and education are not considered women's affairs," he said. "Women's affairs are more than that."

Human rights, labor, health, research and other fields should be included in the realm of women's affairs, he said.

"Those things are more important for women to struggle for," he said.

"There must be clear explanations about what constitutes politics and women's affairs. Otherwise, the situation will remain," he said.

The one-day seminar was held by Fatayat NU, a women's wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama. Other speakers yesterday included political scientist Arbi Sanit, humorist Jaya Suprana, talk show host Wimar Witoelar and legislator Fatimah Ahmad.

Arbi expressed an opinion basically similar to Abdurrahman's, saying that -- despite the fact that their population exceeds that of men -- the role of women in politics is still very small.

"Less than 10 percent of all women occupy positions in political institutions. This is not proportional," Arbi, who is a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said.

"Their position is therefore less powerful than men," he said. "The quantity of female political activists, which is very small, negates whatever quality they may possess because, in politics, quantity represents one of the two forms of power."

The other form he was referring to was the power of argumentation.

Arbi blamed Indonesia's political culture, which places women merely as one part of the whole social group. The situation is aggravated by society's traditional views that it is only men who lead, he said.

"Women organizations in Indonesia represent an effort to modernize women's political activities. But they are treated as mere supporters of other organizations dominated by men," he said.

"This is what is happening to Dharma Wanita," he cited.

Dharma Wanita is the organization for civil servants' wives which was founded in 1974 and aimed at promoting the welfare of its members through activities outside their homes.

In this situation, it would be difficult for Indonesian women to fight for their rights, whether through women's movements or feminism, Arbi said.

"This is injustice," he added.

The 1945 Constitution, the Broad Guidelines of State Policies and some international conventions on women which Indonesia has ratified, guarantee the equality of women and men, he added. (01)