Major parties committed to women's welfare

JAKARTA (JP): Four major political parties declared on Tuesday their commitment to the betterment of women's and children's welfare, promising to give the issue prominence in the next State Policy Guidelines (GBHN).

The representatives of the Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP) signed at a seminar here a pledge that once they are in a policy making position they would campaign for women's and children's issues.

"We will design intersectoral cooperation among parties, the government and other components in society to increase awareness for the need to improve the quality of life for women and children," the politicians said in the statement.

They agreed on the need for special attention to address the impact the two-year economic crisis had on women and children.

"Indonesia may lose a generation because of the crisis," United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) representative for Indonesia and Malaysia, Stephen J. Woodhouse, said. The seminar was held by Unicef in cooperation with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

He suggested the government provide incentives to public servants working to serve the poor.

"This (the situation of the poor) would be the responsibility of every component of the nation. This is an urgent matter," said Ermalina of PPP.

Ermalina also suggested the establishment of a technical assistance system to be permanently attached to the House of Representatives (DPR) and to consist of experts and activists. "This forum is to enable experts and activists to hold discussions with DPR members and to give opinions (on how the House should launch poverty alleviation programs)," she said.

"There are many women who have been marginalized in the development process," Khofifah Indar Parawangsa of the PKB said, criticizing the narrow and sectoral, rather than integral, approach to development as the cause.

Khofifah also suggested the establishment of a women and children caucus in the DPR. "The caucus, whose members should comprise representatives from all DPR commissions, would enable comprehensive discussion on women and children in the DPR," she said.

Amien Rais, chairman of PAN, agreed that Indonesia needed an integrated development scheme.

Indonesia needs an interdepartmental reference set by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), he said, "To avoid administrative and budget disorder."

Amien also urged the media to pay more attention to non- governmental organizations servicing difficult places.

"Despite international help, such as from Unicef and donor countries, we still have a poor record on women's and children's welfare," Ulla Nurachwaty of Golkar said.(05)