Teachers told to help fight male chauvinism

Teachers told to help fight male chauvinism

JAKARTA (JP): Two members of the cabinet told teachers
yesterday to instill the values of solidarity and gender equality
in students to improve the country's future generation.

Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Soeweno and
Minister of Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi told teachers attending
the third day's session of the week-long 17th congress of the All
Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI).

Inten told over 11,000 teachers from all over the country that
educators are the most effective "strikers" in promoting the
value of solidarity as a way to handle societal problems.

"Because teachers are a dominant factor in our education
system, I hope they can help maximize the role of education in
garnering social solidarity," Inten said.

She also noted that strong social solidarity will in turn
strengthen the unity of the nation, which is one of the basic
assets of development.

"Without the spirit of social solidarity, development will
only result in material achievements which are empty of any
feeling of togetherness," Inten said.

Discrimination

In her comments at the congress, Mien Sugandhi emphasized that
primary education is one of the most effective ways to change the
social values which classify women as inferior to men.

Mien noted that another effective way is through family
education, in which children are prepared, even before school
starts, to enter a society in which gender discrimination
continues to exist.

Besides asking teachers to help eliminate gender
discrimination in society, Mien also told the educators that they
are in the forefront of the drive to better prepare women to act
as the partners of men in the nation's development effort.

Mien noted that at present women could not enjoy the same
privileges in politics as men although they outnumber them.

One effective way to solve the problem is to give women more
access to education, she said. "If women want to stand up and
enhance their quality, there will be more women decision makers,"
Mien said.

She cited men, especially husbands, as the major hurdle in
bringing about gender equality because they often think that
their wives should work only in the kitchen.

"Husbands cannot yet accept it if their wives get more money
or get a better position ... Women actually have major potential,
and if they are given the chances they will take more part in
development. However, sometimes men are reluctant to let the
chances go to women." (11)