Parties separated from reality: Experts
JAKARTA (JP): A dialog between political parties and women here has revealed a gap between the parties and the reality of society, experts noted Thursday.
Sociologist Julia Suryakusuma and Siti Musdah Mulya, a researcher with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, were asked in the dialog to comment on the views aired by representatives of three parties, particularly regarding women's issues.
"The parties' representatives here provided normative and conservative answers about women's issues," Julia said on the sidelines of the talks.
She had tried to explain what a "gender perspective" was to the forum, which she defined among other things as the awareness of various forms of injustice suffered by women.
"A big gap between the parties and the realities here occurs because political parties represent the status quo," she said.
The morning session in the function held by a non-governmental organization, Women's Solidarity, featured the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the United Development Party (PPP).
The afternoon session featured the ruling Golkar party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Among other issues touched on were women and work, and also violence.
A party representative had said while domestic work was "noble" in one's own home, it was lowly for women to do paid domestic jobs.
Siti Musdah of the Ministry of Religious Affairs said such a view must be changed.
"It is not their destiny (kodrat) for women to be fully responsible for domestic work ... But many people, especially men, misunderstand religious values regarding women. They think that women have to serve them unconditionally. So it is time to reshape this outlook."
She said she believed men would not be able to pay the economic value of domestic work.
Legislator and frequent talk show host Ekky Syahruddin of Golkar said gender was not a problem.
"I don't see any specific oppression of women here," Ekky said, to the accompaniment of boos from the audience.
In reality, Julia said women were the ones suffering from discrimination.
Echoing some of the other speakers, Ekky said the core problem parties were to address was that of the whole society, not only women.
"So if women want to fight for their rights and aspirations, come on and join Golkar."
Khofifah Indah Parawansa of the National Awakening Party slammed Ekky's remarks, saying that during the previous New Order government women were "alienated and treated as second-grade citizens."
She cited compulsory membership of the civil servants' wives organization Dharma Wanita set up in 1974 to help Golkar win elections.
"For a long time many women did not realize that joining such an organization was the same as having their political rights taken away" as they were obliged to vote for Golkar with the risk of their husbands losing their jobs or harming their careers if they did not.
She said therefore her party's platform "clearly states that we support women's empowerment and we are against discrimination."
Novianti Nasution of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle described how her party was continuously fighting to ensure that wage discrimination would no longer occur.
Suprenita, a deputy secretary general of the Crescent Star Party, said her party would struggle to improve the position of women in line with the wish of God, which was to make it equal to that of men.
Similar talks between parties and women, aimed at urging the former to take up women's issues, are planned in nine major cities such as Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi, Yogyakarta, Medan in North Sumatra, Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Surakarta in Central Java, and Merauke in Irian Jaya. (edt)