Sex discrimination culturally embedded

JAKARTA (JP): Sex discrimination cannot be stopped by economic development without abandoning cultural perceptions which sustain gender inequalities, experts said yesterday.

Experts said that inequalities were perpetuated by the inherent cultural tenet that remains here -- that women were subordinate to men.

These perceptions often limited women's access to the economic sector.

Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, dean of the School of Economics at the University of Indonesia, said women's roles in society were becoming more prominent as a result of economic growth. But economic growth alone did not eliminate inequalities.

Economic development does not determine the level of discrimination or awareness of gender issues, he said, this was determined by many factors.

At a seminar called Women's Rights are Human Rights, the noted economist said that cultural observers, religious scholars and the government were agents in the spreading of a greater understanding of women's rights.

The seminar celebrated the 70th birthday of Saparinah Sadli, a women activist and founder of Women's Studies at the University of Indonesia.

Saparinah is married to Mohammad Sadli, a former minister of mining.

Another activist, Myra Diarsi, said there was a lack of understanding about woman's rights at all levels of society.

She claimed the government's population control policy infringed on women's rights.

"The government policy reflects that women are not free to decide what they can do with their own bodies," said Myra. (09)