Sex discrimination culturally embedded

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)