Semarang Mayor: Challenges for Women in Leadership Are Quite Unique
Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti stated that the challenges for women becoming leaders are quite unique. Agustina believes women have a 100 percent right to opportunities for leadership.
“The challenges for women as leaders are indeed quite unique, because they are still surrounded by cultures that are not advantageous. But I believe women are destined to be born with extraordinary power. We get pregnant and give birth; men do not have that experience,” said Agustina at the Big Idea Forum (TBIF) on Kartini Day, ‘Women’s Power: Nurturing Life, Leading Change’, which took place on Thursday (16/4).
Agustina mentioned that women have important abilities to nurture children. Agustina said that nurturing children must use an inclusivity process.
“This is a process for women’s power in nurturing. When nurturing, the inclusivity process must occur. If we have, for example, two boys and one girl, they grow up together, but their natures and characters will be different.”
“Actually, God has already given signals that everyone must be treated inclusively, so as leaders, we must automatically do the same. Inclusivity cannot be just for a moment; it must be sustainable; that is the challenge,” Agustina added.
Furthermore, Agustina highlighted that there are still limitations for women to develop, especially to become leaders.
“Sometimes there are still women’s movements that are given space only for one certain moment, or we are given a percentage, that women only get 1 percent, 30 percent; why limit it? Aren’t we equal? We also have the right to 100 percent women; our leadership style must also be accepted,” said Agustina.
“How to do it? Kartini did not wait for a moment; she sought her own space. Likewise, we must seek our own space. As regional heads, we are given extraordinary authority; the law on regional heads gives us leeway to do many things; as women, we can nurture life,” she added.
CNN Indonesia once again held the Big Idea Forum (TBIF), this time with the theme ‘Women’s Power: Nurturing Life, Leading Change’. The forum was held at Studio 2 CNN Indonesia, Transmedia Building, Jalan Kapten Tendean.
Two keynote speakers at the forum were House Speaker Puan Maharani and Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid.
Then, as panellists, there were Deputy Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Veronica Tan, North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda, scientist Prof. Carina Citra Dewi Joe, aesthetics and skin health practitioner dr. Ayu Widyaningrum, and Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti.