Women's role in society
Most of us who have been faithfully watching the news on television in the past few days are no doubt aware that at this very moment an important international meeting is taking place in Jakarta to discuss the role of women in development. In the past few days about 500 delegates -- women as well as men -- from 54 countries in the Asia-Pacific region have met to gloss over their differences and come up with a draft plan of action and a declaration for the advancement of women in the Asia-Pacific region. This senior officials meeting was to prepare for the Second Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development, which President Soeharto inaugurated yesterday.
It must have been heartening, especially for the Indonesian participants of the conference, to hear the President in his address remark that since Indonesia fully understands the importance of the role of women in development, educational opportunities for women are to be improved in the coming years as this country prepares for take-off towards self-sustained development. As proof of Indonesia's appreciation of the role of women in development, the President reminded the conference that some of this country's most memorable successes in development -- such as in planned parenthood and public health -- were achieved with the help of PKK, the family welfare program in which the key role is played by women.
Yet, it must be admitted that in many countries -- Indonesia included -- the road towards the full recognition of the role of women is not always smooth. Among the main obstacles is what experts refer to as "gender bias." Ask any woman participant in the Second Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development what the main roadblock to their full participation is, and the most likely answer will be. "the gender bias that prevails in society."
Most analysts agree that though gender bias exists in every country and in every stratum of society, it is especially pervasive in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. A study made a couple of years ago for the Worldwatch Institute, for example, says that in its most generic form bias boils down to grossly unequal allocations of resources. In form it ranges from the exclusion of women from development programs to wage discrimination and systemic violence against women. At root, according to this report, are three fallacies that usually underlie conventional economic thinking.
The first is that economic growth is gender-blind; both men and women benefit equally from it. The second fallacy is that the traditional Western model of a "household" -- in which the father, the mother and the children share a common interest and work towards common goals -- applies to all societies. The third misconception is that within households the burdens and benefits of poverty and wealth will be distributed equally regardless of gender.
Without having to go into detailed arguments, we think it must be clear that such misconceptions still exist today in many, if not most, developing countries. And although Indonesia can consider itself fortunate to belong to the more advanced countries in this particular respect, bias still exists to a certain degree, especially in the more tradition-bound groups of our society. Thus, too may women are prevented from developing their full potential as productive members of our society. We think it is time to recognize that whenever this happens, society is the loser.