Pupet shows to mark exhibition

JAKARTA (JP): A handphone promotion and puppet shows will be part of the attractions at a Women's Day exhibition here at the end of the year.

The Mothers' and Children's World exhibition will run from Dec. 27-29 at the Jakarta Convention Center, although Woman's Day actually falls on Dec. 22.

Organizers said they would try to be selective when choosing items to be displayed at the exhibition.

"Handphones and cars are part of a mother's world too," organizer Yulie Indra Setyohadi, director of PT Linea Sakakindo Promosindo, said.

"On school trips mothers now give their children handphones to monitor them," another organizer said.

Yulie said it was harder to find items relevant to mothers than it was to children, but organizers "would try to balance the range of goods in the display."

Although some people say Women's Day in Indonesia is not similar to Mothers' Day in the West, Yulie said the event sought to stimulate a fun time between mothers and their children.

"If we watch television, only a tiny portion is devoted to shows which bridge a mother and child," she said, adding that this was also the case with other media.

Around 30,000 visitors a day are expected to attend the three- day event, which will feature local popular educators such as Ibu Kasur, Sandiah Soerjono, Seto Mulyadi and psychologist Sarlito Wirawan.

Children will be encouraged to participate in quizzes and competitions, including a smiling contest, a photo model contest and a writing contest.

"The events are designed for infants to 12-year-olds," said Yulie, a mother of three.

During the exhibition, a seminar on children's creativity and a talk show about mothers and children will be hosted by model Soraya Haque, who hosts her own show on a private television channel.

A new pre-school in Pondok Indah, High Scope, is one of about 100 expected participants.

Organizers said the event was expected to encourage producers to target women and children, as displays focusing on mothers and children were rare.

Responding to questions on how organizers perceived the role of fathers, who meet their children less often, they acknowledged it was a market which needed to be targeted.

"Fathers are also expected as the event is held on a weekend," Yulie said. (anr)