Parties in favor of DPR women's quota
Parties in favor of DPR women's quota
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Major political parties have given their weight behind the
demand for the provision of 30 percent of seats at the House of
Representatives for women.
Doubts remain high, however, as to whether the parties will
keep to their promises to allot the quota of political jobs for
women in the 2004 General Election.
Golkar legislator Eka Komariah Kuncoro told The Jakarta Post
on the sidelines of a two-day seminar that concluded on Tuesday
that her party and other major parties have supported moves to
improve women's participation in politics.
She said the United Development Party (PPP), the National
Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) wanted
the percentage of women's seats in the legislature to be raised
by up to 30 percent.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
decided that at least 25 percent of its legislative candidates
would be women.
Komariah's statement was confirmed by the Women's Network and
Politics, a non-governmental organization established on Nov. 22,
2002, which had recently visited the headquarters of the five
major parties.
Women makes up at least 51 percent of the country's population
of around 210 million people, but they have only 44
representatives or 8.9 percent of the seats in the 500-member
House of Representatives and 64 or 9.2 percent of the seats in
the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly.
On the first day of the seminar, State Minister for Women's
Empowerment Sri Redjeki Sumaryoto, several female legislators and
many more independent activists demanded the percentage be raised
to between 20 percent and 30 percent at the next election.
They said such a quota for women must be clearly stipulated in
political bills to be deliberated at the House of Representatives
in order to prevent political parties from breaching their own
commitments.
The participants also recommended the political bills include
penalties for parties failing to make sure that at least 30
percent of their legislative candidates were women.
Women's representation in executive agencies, such as the
Supreme Court, the Supreme Audit Body (BPK), the Supreme
Supervisory Council (DPA) and the General Elections Commission
(KPU) should also be increased, they said.
Komariah, Valina Singka Subekti from the University of
Indonesia and other female activists dismissed widespread claims
that women were not prepared to serve political jobs due to what
many say is a lack of skill and professionalism.
Komariah said "affirmative action" is needed to empower
women's political role by providing them with a quota of
legislative and executive positions.
"Allowing women legislative candidates to compete with their
males counterparts is unfair because their strengths and
capabilities are extremely unequal," she added.