Nursyahbani keeps up fight for equality

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Women's rights activist, legal expert and legislator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana has a nickname from her fellow activists: harum, which literally means fragrant.

The 48 year old earned it after a foundation awarded her the Kartini of the Century award a couple years ago.

"I thought, why do they call me mbak harum? Apparently, it's from the song about (national heroine) Kartini which says that Kartini harum namanya (the name's famous)," laughed the chairwoman of the Coalition of Indonesian Women for Justice and Democracy.

It's also owed to the fact that Nursyahbani is an unabashed admirer of Kartini, unlike most women's rights activists who despise the heroine and consider her undeserving of her distinction as a heroine of women's emancipation.

"Kartini inspired my father, who was one of the initiators of the Youth Pledge (a major event in the independence movement, in 1928). And so she has inspired me as well, in other areas. She wasn't only against arranged marriage, but supported single women as well, that being single and unmarried is not contemptible. She also fought for education for Indonesians.

"Yes, Kartini failed. She married a married man as her father asked her to. But we have to look at the social conditions at that time. Who could fight against their own fathers back then? You know, the people who are against her, how deeply have they read Kartini's letters?"

There may be those who disagree with Nursyahbani's views of Kartini, but her own achievements and struggle in fighting for women's rights in this country are undeniable.

Her journey started when she was in the fifth grade of elementary school in Parelegi, a small village in Purwodadi, Central Java.

She was shocked when one of her classmates was forced into an arranged marriage.

"It was so shocking for me and left me traumatized," this naturally soft-spoken woman recollectdd in an even fainter tone.

Her friend rebelled, however, as she wrapped her body tightly in her waist sash, frustrating her husband's attempts to consummate the marriage. He left after three days.

Another friend was also forced to be married just a few weeks before final exams.

"I thought, how come they were forced to be married, some of them haven't got their period yet!"

She also noticed different treatment in the home between her and her male siblings.

"My parents are liberal concerning education. But still, when it comes to responsibility of household chores, it's always for girls. Girls also got less freedom."

Those experiences inspired her to study law so that she could eventually work to uphold justice for women.

Nursyahbani graduated from Airlangga University's law school in Surabaya in 1979, and began work as a lawyer at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) a year later.

Her involvement in issues related to gender equality and women's rights intensified.

In 1983, along with other women's rights activists, she established the Women Solidarity Foundation which deals with issues affecting women migrant workers.

She was also among the founders of the Legal Aid Institute and the Association of Indonesian Women for Justice (LBH APIK), which provides advocacy to women and gives pro bono legal counsel.

In 1998, three days before Soeharto stepped down from the presidency, Nursyahbani established the Women Coalition which handles political education for women.

There has been progress but she laments that women in this country are still marginalized.

"And, so far, the efforts from government and also NGOs have yet to unfurl and overcome the problems, because the problems are so complex."

The main obstacle is culture, she added, with the stranglehold of a patriarchal system legitimated by male-biased religious interpretations.

Even Law No. 7/1984 about the ratification of the convention on eliminating discrimination against women states that the implementation of the convention must be in line with tradition, custom and religion.

"Whereas the convention is made as a tool to change traditions that discriminate against women. The decision makers are not explicit in eliminating the discrimination," she said.

"Another example is the city bylaw on domestic helpers that obliges women to ask for their husbands' permission if they want to work as a maid. The law really considers women as their husbands' subordinate."

The coalition believes it is especially important to increase the representation and participation of women in public life.

"We focus on women's rights training, the Constitution and several policies related to trafficking in women. And also the changing the policy to give more room for women as decision makers," Nursyahbani said.

"The low number of women in the decision making area isn't just a loss for women, but it makes it that women are not even taken into account."

One of the coalition programs is affirmative action to allocate at least 30 percent of decision-making positions to women.

The coalition, along with other women's rights advocates, has approached political parties and others involved for its implementation.

Just when the parties were being won over to the argument, President Megawati Soekarnoputri herself blasted the plan last December, saying that such proposals were "counter-productive" and "degraded women's dignity".

Completely dismissing quotas as the solution for establishing gender equality, Megawati said that if prescribed, affirmative action would eventually "weaken institutions as they are burdened with preferential treatment".

"Oh my God! I was so shocked! Her statement is not only a setback to gender equality, it brings back the whole effort to zero point, if not minus point, as my friend said," Nursyahbani said, slapping her forehead.

"Yes, it's a special measure for women, but it's important to eliminate discrimination. Besides, it's temporary until the numbers of women and men are balanced."

She admits that statements like Megawati's and experiences in the courts -- "a place where (supposed) male superiority is clearly seen" -- sometimes leave her disheartened.

"It's indeed very frustrating. But I'm an optimistic person, if not, I would've stopped fighting decades ago."

She is buoyed by changes, although small, in national policy on women. Her passion is restored when she sees the wives of poor fishermen who are now able to express their grievances to the local government, like about the scarcity of clean water in their area.

There continue to be other more mundane limitations for the mother of four, such as flare-ups from a childhood back injury.

"Working in a volunteer NGO is not too promising, to tell you the truth. Besides, my children are growing up now."

Still, it's clear she will not give up the fight until women get an equal footing in society. When the going gets really tough, she heads to what has long been considered a "feminine" domain.

"I just cook! It really reduces stress, I tell you," she laughed.