Observers welcome women ministers

Observers welcome women ministers

JAKARTA (JP): Observers have welcomed the appointment of three
prominent women to the cabinet and have called on them to
continue promoting gender equality.

Rudini, Lies Marcus and Wardah Hafidz agreed in separate
interviews yesterday and Sunday that great challenges lay ahead
for new Minister of Social Services Siti Hardijanti Rukmana,
State Minister of Women's Roles Tutty Alawiah and Minister of
Agriculture Justika Sjarifudin Baharsjah.

Rudini, a former minister of home affairs who now chairs the
Institute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia (LPSI), took special
note of the appointment of Hardijanti, who is also President
Soeharto's eldest daughter. He said he did not see nepotism
behind the appointment.

"We should not just view her as the daughter of the
President," he said. "We also have to admit that she has indeed
made some achievements in the field of social services."

Hardijanti, who is better known as Mbak Tutut, is a successful
businesswoman and has been active for years in various charities
as well as activities involving youths. She is also deputy
chairwoman of the dominant Golkar political grouping.

Rudini named several ministers he said were "the best people
for the posts," including Justika and new Coordinating Minister
for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication/Chairman of National
Planning Board Haryono Suyono.

Rudini said the new ministers must work hard to restore public
confidence in the government. "They should be disciplined and act
as the people's servants," he said. "Otherwise, they shouldn't
talk about eradicating corruption and practices of collusion in
the country."

Lies Marcus, a researcher and trainer at the Center for
Education and Development of Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools)
and Community, said Tutty Alawiyah should broaden her horizons to
better see the scope of problems affecting women from all walks
of life and different religious backgrounds.

Tutty is better known as a Moslem preacher, a Golkar cadre and
the manager of an orphanage.

"Tutty has so far been exclusively in a conventional Moslem
environment, particularly in the Majelis Taqlim (women's Islamic
studies clubs), and she comes from a privileged Betawi (native
Jakarta) family," Lies said.

"She has been saying that there are no problems for women
here, which I say is very wrong and naive," Lies said.

"There is a very clear problem of discrimination against women
here," Lies insisted. "For instance, while factory wages may be
the same for both sexes, women take on a bigger burden because
not only are they responsible for domestic chores, but they also
often work overtime because it is the only way to get enough
income."

Tutty's office must pay attention to addressing this
stereotype of women as wives and mothers, because it leads to
this "triple burden", Lies said.

"Tutty, for one, has been saying it is okay for women to go
out and work as long as they do not forget their kodrat, God-
given destiny. It is not that simple," she added.

"The earlier office of state minister of women's roles under
Mien Sugandhi had begun to publicly promote the meaning of
equality. Ibu Tutty must continue this," she added.

Sociologist Wardah Hafidz concurred.

"Mien used to do bizarre things, like changing the acronym of
TKW to Nakerwan, both meaning women workers, but she was still
open to ideas," she said. (imn/anr)