MPR: Women's political representation must become a national issue

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Lestari Moerdijat has said that efforts to increase women’s political representation must become a national movement and a national issue that is safeguarded until it is truly achieved.

“There must be a movement that is not merely administrative and complementary in nature, but let us make this a national movement, one that has legal force, and there is an opportunity here — the entry point is the revision of the Election Law,” said Lestari Moerdijat, also known as Rerie, during a focus group discussion titled “Strengthening Women’s Representation in the Revision of the Election Law”, in Jakarta on Thursday.

This is because women’s representation is very important for encouraging the quality of public policies that are more aspirational, participatory and equitable.

In addition, she also emphasised the importance of women’s awareness regarding women’s empowerment and leadership.

“Perhaps this is the time for us to talk about gender issues, studies on leadership and women, but the very first thing is to change women’s mindsets — that your place is not at the back. This, I feel, must be the task of all of us. How to provide knowledge to women, that she must be empowered over herself,” said Rerie.

Based on the findings of a study by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection together with the Centre for Political Studies at the University of Indonesia, after more than two decades of implementing affirmative action policies, the rate of women’s election to legislative bodies — whether the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Provincial Regional People’s Representative Councils (DPRD Provinsi), or Regency/City Regional People’s Representative Councils (DPRD Kabupaten/Kota) — still remains in the range of 16 to 22 per cent.

Meanwhile, women’s representation has managed to reach 37 per cent of seats in the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI).