Mega, Rachma accused of exploiting women

Mega, Rachma accused of exploiting women

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A feminist has criticized the country's prominent female party
leaders for exploiting women in their political campaign.

Salma Safitri of Solidarity for Women (SP), noted that
Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is the leader of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle as well as the incumbent president,
had recruited erotic dancers and dangdut (a blend of local genre
with Indian and Arabic music) performers in her whirlwind
campaign in numerous cities across the country.

Salma also lashed out at Megawati's sister Rachmawati
Soekarnoputri, who heads the Pioneer Party, for the same reason.

"The two sisters are females but they have no sensitivity
toward women and that's why their parties have nominated a scant
number of women legislative candidates and have small programs
for women's empowerment," she said on Thursday.

Hiring erotic dancers was irrelevant to elections, she said,
and it was nothing less than exploitation of women.

Salma also lamented the fact that all election participants
had nominated a small number of women legislators.

"Megawati nominated only 31 women legislative candidates and
Rachmawati nominated only 26," she said.

A total of 678 legislators at the national level are to be
elected in the April 5 elections and thousands of other
legislators for provincial and regental/municipality levels.

Yulfa Chindosari, a woman legislative candidate for the
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), called on women voters to elect
women legislative candidates nominated by their preferred
parties. Quality is more important than quantity, she said.

"We should have qualified women legislators to fight for
women's political aspirations," she said, referring to 25
qualified women legislative candidates promoted by the Center for
Electoral Reform (Cetro) and the Movement of Women Concerned
about Indonesia (GPPI).

Maria Pakpahan, a legislative candidate for the National
Awakening Party (PKB) from East Nusa Tenggara, pledged to pay
more attention to education and health in the province if she
were elected in the elections.

"And it is urgent that the high maternal mortality rate and
rampant illiteracy among women are addressed in the province,"
she said.

Salma said the small number of women legislative candidates
had a lot to do with political parties' discriminative internal
rulings and traditional customs that gave preference to men in
strategic positions.

Salma underlined the need for education and the elimination of
gender discrimination to empower women in politics.