'Women must push for gender equality'
JAKARTA (JP): Legislator Marwah Daud Ibrahim said during a panel discussion yesterday that women, and society as a whole, should start creating a desired vision for incorporating gender and the development perspective.
"It is irrelevant to rhetorically ask whether Indonesian women are ready (to increase the role of women in society). Of course, we are not today. But we can start preparing for the future, can't we?" Marwah, a legislator from the ruling Golkar faction, said.
Marwah was commenting on a recent study conducted by the Republika daily entitled Women House Members' Aspirations which found that highly conscientious women House members tended to be more courageous and vocal in defending women's interests.
The findings provoked a lively discussion on the role of female legislators viewed from a cultural perspective, which is considered the main obstacle.
"My experience has convinced me that structural change can eventually eliminate the cultural bounds," she said, adding that perhaps the campaign to battle bureaucracy's parochialism could start with applying quota systems.
Marwah said that more socialization of incorporating gender equality in development would be attained inclusively, by both men and women.
Accompanying Marwah were Khofifah Indar Parawansa from the United Development Party and Laksmiari Priyonggo from the Indonesian Democratic Party.
From a total of 104 women legislators surveyed, 15.4 percent admitted they entered the field of politics due to their husbands' influence. Both Khofifah and Laksmiari challenged the finding, saying that if classified by each party in the House, the answers would not have been valid.
In the most recent election in 1992, 52 percent of those who voted were women, while there were only 12.6 percent female members of the 500-member House of Representatives.
State Minister of Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi was recently infuriated by the lower percentage of women nominated for next year's general election than earlier promised by Golkar.
Eep Saefulloh, head of Republika's research and development center, said the study was conducted due to the apparent underrepresentation of women in the House of Representatives.
He added that many legislators did not perceive any problem in the political recruitment system for women or overt operational discrimination.
The heated discussion prompted legislator Laksmiari to frown in reaction to critical remarks on woman's subordination by men at the House made by Myra Diarsi, a woman advocate from Kalyanamitra, a women's communication and information center.
"One should learn how the House really operates before mercilessly cornering women members of the House," Laksmiari said.
Edriana, an independent observer, said that issues raised as "women's issues," have not touched on the substance of the perpetuation, evident in rampant misunderstanding concerning the issues.
"It depends on one's perception about what disadvantages women. It does not matter who fights for it. There are men who, to a certain extent, understand the issues better than some women," Edriana said.
Respondents cited eight main women's issues, including lack of women in policy-making positions, weak protection from the law, receiving lower pay compared to their male counterparts, frequent occurrence of sexual harassment, women portrayed as sex objects in the mass media, exploitation of female migrant workers and violation of the right to menstrual leave. (14)