To men of Indonesia

The Bali Post is planning to hold an art exhibition entitled Great Indonesian Painters in Bali to celebrate Indonesia's development in the arts, and to raise funds for charity. Very praiseworthy, you may say, in this the Year of the Role of Women in Development here in Indonesia. The only problem is, yes, you've guessed it, this show plans to have works by thirteen men and zero, yes, zero, women.

What is it, guys, that stops you from recognizing that women can be great artists as well as men? Indonesia has a great and proud tradition of women artists, starting with Emilia Soenassa, right down to today's young and exciting artists. You should celebrate this enormous, rich resource of this wonderful country, rather than denying it. You should be so proud that our country has produced artists of such stature, regardless of sex, and you should work together to proclaim these talents to the world, put the spotlight on them, rather than shutting them out in the cold.

Development is the current buzzword, and in danger of becoming just another slogan unless we realize how and when we can make a real contribution to the fact of development in our daily lives. We must realize that continuing to hold on to old, discriminating attitudes is a real barrier to development -- you men must welcome women as your equal partners in the process, or condemn development to failure, since a development which only works for 48 percent of the population (the male) on the basis of one out of two chromosomes being different is a farce and a mockery.

MARY NORTHMORE

Director

Seniwati Gallery

Gianyar, Bali