Indonesian to head international women's council

Indonesian to head international women's council

JAKARTA (JP): An Indonesian woman's leader has been elected
president of the International Council of Women (ICW), becoming
the fourth Asian to hold the position.

Kuraisin Sumhadi, deputy chief of the Indonesian Women's
Congress (Kowani) was elected president for the 1994-97 period at
the ICW's general assembly in Paris, which concluded yesterday,
the Antara news agency reported.

Sumhadi, 63 years old, was previously vice president of the
council. She won the vote after a tight election, beating the
candidates from Israel and Nigeria.

The three previous Asian woman to hold the post were Dolats
Hahi of Iran in 1973-1976, Princess Prem Purachatra of Thailand
in 1976-1979 and Sookja Hoong of South Korea in 1986-1988.

Sumhadi became the strongest candidate when the election
committee disqualified the Nigerian candidate because she is a
government official. Sumhadi subsequently won over many of the
votes intended for the Nigerian candidate, according to Suharsono
Isnomo, the information attache at the Indonesian embassy in
Paris.

Sumhadi has been active in many women's organizations at the
national as well as international levels, and has taken part in
various international seminars and conferences. She has mastered
English, Dutch and French as well as her mother tongue,
Indonesian. (emb)