Minister strives for gender equality in govt policies

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of the Empowerment of Women Khofifah Indar Parawansa has demanded that all government policies relating to gender be drafted through her office since the general public, with its patriarchic nature, severely lacks awareness of gender equality.

In a written reply during a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission VI on human resources and religious affairs, Khofifah noted the stunted perception of gender awareness despite the country's tremendous economic development.

She accepted the fact that much had been achieved in Indonesia's development, but still the portion of development given to women was not equitable.

"If we study the situation more deeply, (we will find) the progress achieved by women in various aspects of life is not equivalent to the progress achieved by men in terms of their role and status," Khofifah argued.

"We can find that the access of women to the political, economic and legal fields is limited because of the patriarchic sociocultural construction of society."

She argued that there was thus no alternative but to integrate government policies and activities through a single channel focused on empowering women with a focus on a vision of gender awareness.

"A lack of understanding of gender issues clearly influences policy and development strategies which has negative impacts on the aspirations and interests of women," she contended.

Khofifah, since her appointment as state minister of women's empowerment, has shaken up the office by adding more spice and conviction.

One of her first steps was to change the name of the office from the office of the state minister of women's affairs to the current distinction.

She complained that the term "women's affairs" was ambiguous and often brought about conflicting interpretations.

She also lobbied Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra to draft a regulation requiring that one of the three judges presiding over rape cases is a woman.

Her proposal, however, was brushed aside by Yusril, who said that the government did not have the right to interfere in court affairs. He added that it was also strange that a minister struggling for equality should demand treatment which could be considered as discriminatory.

During Monday's hearing she argued that the "one-door policy", of having gender issue policies pass through her office, was necessary to ensure public awareness.

"The one-door policy would mean that every regulation and law concerning women in all 21 ministerial offices would have to come out of my office," she said, adding there was a need for the regulations to be legally binding.

Khofifah revealed that one of her proposals, the formation of a bureau on women's empowerment on the provincial and regency levels, had been rejected by State Minister of State Administrative Reforms Freddy Numberi.

"Due to the cost-cutting policy of the new government, the minister could not approve my idea, but he was willing to discuss whether such a bureau could be set up under the general planning bureau in every department," she said.

"That way the interest of women would (at least) still be in the planning made by departments," she said.

To the House, Khofifah proposed that a budget of Rp 27.9 billion be allocated to her ministry for the coming fiscal year. This is an increase of 18 percent from the current budget.

"The execution and implementation of the one-door policy program will need extra funding, besides, all this year the ministry got only a minimum percentage of the state budget," she argued.(04)