Lestari Moerdijat: International Women's Day Commemoration as a Moment to Raise Awareness Among Citizens About the Importance of Equality
The commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) represents a crucial moment for raising awareness among all citizens about the importance of equality and justice for women.
“Commitment to women’s justice and equality cannot be fully realised without support from all parties and policies that have structural impact on society,” said Deputy Chair of the People’s Consultative Assembly Lestari Moerdijat in a written statement on Sunday, 8 March, marking International Women’s Day commemorated annually on 8 March.
The theme for the 2026 IWD commemoration is “Give To Gain,” which emphasises the power of collaboration, generosity, and social investment to create gender equality.
According to Lestari, marking IWD during the month of Ramadan is particularly timely. The spirit of this year’s IWD and Ramadan align in promoting values of empathy, justice, and social care.
These values, according to Rerie—Lestari’s common nickname—serve as an important reminder that the struggle to achieve gender equality is not solely the government’s responsibility, but also that of all societal elements.
Rerie assessed that the IWD commemoration is not merely a celebration, but also a reflection on the various challenges women continue to face across different sectors of life, ranging from the economy and politics to protection from violence.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 released by the World Economic Forum recorded Indonesia’s gender gap score at 0.692, placing Indonesia at rank 97 out of 148 countries.
Additionally, Rerie noted, data from the 2024 National Survey on Women’s Life Experiences (SPHPN) showed that 1 in 4 women aged 15-64 in Indonesia have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
These findings, clarified Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives, demonstrate that gender equality and protection for women remain crucial issues and ongoing challenges for both government and society.
The member of NasDem Party’s High Council hopes that this year’s IWD commemoration can strengthen collective awareness among citizens to accelerate the realisation of justice and equal opportunities for Indonesian women.
Moerdijat also encouraged collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Culture to conduct mental health screening for students to address threats to youth mental wellbeing, and emphasised the importance of expanding women’s participation in STEM fields as a strategy to increase innovation, competitiveness, and human resource development in Indonesia.
She further assessed that the government’s policy to delay access to digital accounts, including social media, for children under 16 years of age is an important step, stressing that commitment from all parties is needed to realise better efforts in the prevention and management of mental health issues in children and adolescents. Digital development must be balanced with adequate protection systems for all citizens, including women and children, from the threats that accompany it.