Women's rights can rebuild nation

Women's rights can rebuild nation

From Media Indonesia

Dec. 10, 2000 heralded the observance of International Human
Rights Day. This should increasingly strengthen our resolve to
enforce human rights and uphold democracy and justice in
Indonesia.

Hurdles are caused because this nation is not yet ready to
abandon its New Order culture, a feudalistic culture left behind
by the colonial ruler. Cultural and political breakthroughs are
needed in the running of the state to ensure gender equality and
speed up the civilization process.

The women's movement is a cultural movement, in the context of
a cultural revolution, to put an end to overly masculine and
militaristic ways of thinking on the part of the nation and the
community. The security approach can no longer be used to deal
with the challenges of today, including separatism.

Our national crisis in morality is also attributable to the
emasculation of the political rights of women during the New
Order era. Dharma Wanita (organization of women civil servants
and employees' wives) and the Indonesian Womens Congress
(Kowani), for instance, were co-opted by the government.

Because of this, some women have taken the easy road to
achieve their goals. Hence, the culture of consumerism, hedonism
and materialism. As a result, the nation is morally destroyed and
the young are poisoned with drugs and narcotics. They resort to
juvenile delinquency and crime in many forms.

All of these matters are yet to be raised as common problems,
because, actually inherent in family problems are human rights.
Namely, the protection of womens' rights.

Therefore, the presence of the Indonesian Military/National
Police in the House of Representatives and the People's
Consultative Assembly is a hurdle to womens' progress. Because of
this there is no room for non-party women activists to have a
bigger quota so that they can voice the aspirations of women in
building up a civil society of the future, an undertaking which
must start right now with a new paradigm emphasizing the civil
national resilience.

RA BERAR FATHIA

Alliance of Women

and National Partnership