Women need more choices amid men's skepticism

JAKARTA (JP): Emancipation means giving women the right to choose on various issues, including their family and career, Prof. Saparinah Sadli said.

This, unfortunately, is the core problem with the emancipation movement in Indonesia, head of the Women's Graduate Program of the University of Indonesia said at a seminar yesterday. "They (people) do not believe we can make our own choices."

Empowering women to make their own choices is not easy in Indonesia because of the skepticism, particularly among men, on their ability to make their own decision, she said.

This condition has been strengthened by the stereotyping of women's role as a housewife and mother, she said.

However, there are some encouraging signs.

More and more women are taking up careers out of choice rather than being dictated to by economic circumstances, as has been the case with working women in the past.

The discussion on women was held by the Women's Support Project and Indonesia in Country Orientation Program, in conjunction with the national Women's Day (Hari Ibu), which falls on Dec. 22.

Speakers at the discussion said that if a woman is allowed to make her own choice, she still has to overcome cultural and social barriers.

That means that a lot of women have given up their career ambitions for the sake of the family.

Jessie Imman, a Canadian executive of the Women's Support Project, warned Indonesian women "not to look too much at the West."

"Just enjoy your choices," she said, commenting on those who decided to become housewives.

She said not all women are able carry the burden as a worker and a mother at the same time. In a way, she said, those who could play the dual role were "super women".

The discussion agreed that the Indonesian feminist movement was different from the West.

The government of Indonesia defined the term of equality between the two sexes as "the equal level of partnership" in the sense that both have the same rights and opportunity.

"Whether or not the women explore the opportunity is up to them and is based on the values existing in our environment," Saparinah said, explaining the difference of the Indonesian feminist movement from the one of the West.

Sri Hartati, a psychologist, revealed how difficult it was for her to make up her mind to pursue her PhD. degree abroad. She said it took her and her husband two to three years before both of them agreed that she should go.

"It's not just to choose between this or that...," she said, adding that there was "a gray area" in the choice itself.

"It's easy for men to study but not for us," she said.

As a matter of fact, the role of women as mothers has become an obstacle in their efforts to achieve better careers and education.

Saparinah said that in making the choice, women should take into account the need of the family, due to the values incorporated in life. But, if a woman decided to stay at home and take care of the family, people should respect her choice as there was no reason to belittle the work of a housewife.

Saparinah criticized the government for over-emphasizing the role of women in the family, which seemed to be inconsistent with the campaign to improve women's role in Indonesia's development.

Mochtar Buchori, rector of the Muhammadiyah teachers' training institute, said what the government has done so far to improve women's role was merely "lip service."

The Javanese culture, which favors men, has greatly influenced the national culture and values, he said.

Nona Poeroe Utomo, the executive director of the Indonesian AIDS Foundation, said that sexism is not only embedded in the national culture, but also in the language.

Not until people release themselves from the sexist linguistic traps can women be fully emancipated, she said.

She cited as an example the word tuan (Mr.), which is addressed to a man regardless of his marriage status, but a single woman is called nona while a married one is nyonya.

What's worse was the language which claimed the superiority of men, she added.

Nona said that a husband might say 'I am giving her (the wife) the choice' instead of 'she has the choice.' (sim)