Women 'still defer to men' at the ballot box

Women 'still defer to men' at the ballot box

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian women, despite enhanced political
consciousness, continue to vote based on choices of male
relatives and associates, activist and playwright Ratna Sarumpaet
believes.

"Women are well educated today, and this has led to the
increased political awareness," Ratna acknowledged on Saturday in
an interview with The Jakarta Post.

She regretted, however, that they remained "dependent on their
husbands, their bosses or their boyfriends in determining their
political support for a political party contesting the polls".

Women's deference to men at the ballot box, Ratna said,
carried over from male dominance in other fields.

She believed women activists should work to increase their
peers' self-reliance in making choices at the June 7 general
election.

Political educations would enlighten women from all education
and social levels of their rights, Ratna said, and contribute
greatly to building democracy.

According to the last census from 1990, women make up 51
percent of the electorate.

Some women activists, including those in the Women for
Election Awareness Movement, have argued that at least 30 percent
of seats in the House of Representatives should be allotted to
women.

Ratna considered it an issue of the competence of legislators,
not of filling set quotas.

"I am only interested in talking about the quality of women
who occupy the legislative seats rather than debating their
quantity."

In 1996 Ratna founded Siaga, an alliance for supporters of
Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of a faction of the splintered
Indonesian Democratic Party, and Amien Rais, now leader of the
National Mandate Party.

They were considered popular alternative leaders to the
government under Soeharto.

On Jan. 11, the women activists made the call for a one-third
House representation after they met with Abdurrahman Wahid,
leader of the largest Muslim organization Nadhlathul Ulama.

Among the activists who attended the meeting were journalist
Toeti Kakiailatu, Titi Sumbung, psychology professor Saparinah
Sadli and welfare activist Kardinah Soepardjo Rustam.

Separately, Saparinah blamed the Soeharto New Order regime for
fostering women's continued dependence on men in asserting their
political rights.

"Civil servants' wives, for example, are grouped in Dharma
Wanita, the compulsory organization of civil servant wives, and
were urged to vote for Golkar in elections."

She said women today were expected to use their vote freely in
line with personal political convictions.

Ongoing deliberations on political bills in the House have
included the controversial issue whether civil servants should be
neutral and barred from joining political organizations.

Many fear the bureaucracy would be used to help channel votes
for ruling Golkar.

Wives of the four million civil servants usually join in
campaigns.

Saparinah said the questionable quality of the male House
members was all the more reason to ensure fairness in allotment
of seats based on sex. (01)