'Society unkind to working moms'

Every Dec. 22, the country celebrates Women's Day in recognition of critical roles Indonesian women played during the struggle for independence. What has the role of Indonesian women been since the country declared independence in 1945? The Jakarta Post interviewed people in the capital on the issue.

Fiona S. Hutapea, 30, is an employee at an advertising firm in South Jakarta. She lives in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta.

If there's anything different about the lives of women today, it's that having a career after marriage is approved of. I suppose the high cost of living nowadays demands it.

But otherwise, it's just the same as before. Society hasn't changed a bit -- even with all the gender equality movements. Prepare for snide hints of "don't work too hard, remember your age", if you're approaching 30 and still single, as if we're supposed to allocate special time to find a husband. I mean, who's going to feed us in the meantime?

And for the working moms, I suppose society's not kind on them either. People here still believe that the husband is the breadwinner and everything else falls on the wife, you know.

Ali Rahman, 41, is a taxi driver with Ratax taxis. He lives in Cipinang, East Jakarta.

Some women have no limits set on their education but it wasn't always like that. But among us poor people, when it comes to choosing which child goes to school and which stays home, it's always the girls who stay home and help their mothers.

It's a shame, I know, but if you can't afford to educate all your children, then you are forced to choose.

And girls have a better time of it by staying home and minding the house than the boys would. At least the girls can get married earlier.

--The Jakarta Post