Political parties committed to women
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Major political parties claimed on Friday to have improved their awareness of women's empowerment, including by giving them more opportunities to be members of legislative bodies.
The deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Pramono Anung Wibowo, said women would make up 30 percent of the party's legislative candidates for next year's general election as recommended by the 2003 election law.
Pramomo said the party's women members were involved in the selection process of legislative candidates as well.
"The issue of women representation in PDI Perjuangan has been settled. My party has decided to pick male and female candidates alternately on the list," he told a regular discussion at the House of Representatives here.
The practice, he said, would give women more opportunity to enter the legislature.
He added that in some regions the party placed women at the top of the candidate list because they led the regional chapters.
Golkar deputy chairwoman Marwah Daud Ibrahim acknowledged that although her party had not made a decision on the issue, she was sure that her party supported the idea of giving more opportunities to women.
Both politicians were speaking at a discussion on "Keterwakilan Perempuan: Antara Harapan dan Kenyataan" (Women Representation: Between Expectation and Reality) at the House.
Also speaking at the discussion was film actress Nurul Arifin of the Golkar Party.
Article 65 of Law No 15/2003 on elections recommends that political parties make up to 30 percent of their total candidates women.
"Although the article does not bind political parties, the recommendation is inspiring," Marwah said.
Nurul meanwhile said she had decided to join Golkar not because of its offer to nominate her as a legislative candidate.
"There is never any guarantees in politics. I will contest the election to voice the aspirations of the people," said Nurul, who also actively campaigns against drugs and HIV/AIDS.
Pramono added that whether or not the quota of 30 percent could be fulfilled would depend on the capabilities of the women themselves.
He said seats in the legislature were not given away but had to be fought for.
A study conducted by the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) showed that seven major political parties appeared committed to women representatives.
PDI Perjuangan, for example, had allocated 20 percent of the party's posts for women even before the election law was endorsed, Cetro said.
Golkar set up a women's organization, the KPPG, in 2002 and vowed to allocate 30 percent of its seats for women during its leadership meeting in April this year.
Cetro said that Islamic-based United Development Party's (PPP) culture and tradition indicated that it would not be committed to women representation.
Women from PPP-affiliated mass organizations hardly have access to legislative bodies, Cetro said.
Other major Muslim-based parties, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), recognize in their platforms women representation up to 30 percent, so do the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) despite their struggle to have sharia introduced.