Taking on a New Mindset to Achieve Gender Equality

Indonesia ranked 95th out of 135 countries in terms of gender equality, scoring far below its neighbor, the Philippines, which ranked fifth, a report by the World Economic Forum showed. (Bloomberg Photo/Dadang Tri)

Jakarta Globe -Although more and more Indonesian women have successfully climbed the career ladder, the fight for gender equality continues.

A recent report by the World Economic Forum showed that Indonesia ranked 95th out of 135 countries in terms of gender equality, scoring far below its neighbor, the Philippines, which ranked fifth.

The report also ranked Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, at 103 out of 135 countries in terms of equal economic participation and opportunity.

“Women who hold a seat on the board of directors in listed companies in Indonesia are still in a minority,” Swida Alishjabana, the chief executive of Femina Group, said during an International Woman’s Day event in Jakarta on Friday.

Swida, who oversees the lifestyle media group, said men are generally promoted faster than women, because women tend to underestimate their skills, and have to consider more family life factors before deciding to take a top position.

“Most women are quick to dismiss the position because they feel unprepared, compared to men who generally jump to the opportunity without worrying about their skill-sets,” Swida said.

The Global Gender Gap Index report found that approximately 31 percent of Indonesian firms have female top managers. Women make up 10 percent of the boards of the directors in listed companies, while approximately 43 firms have female participation in their ownership.

A recent study by management consultants Accenture Indonesia found that while 72 percent of Indonesian men value experience more than education, the share of Indonesian women who think likewise is smaller at 50 percent.

“Most men are confident that they’ll have the opportunity to gain experience, while women may be less confident. So some women may rely more on education — where they can compete more equally,” said Anies Baswedan, the founder of Indonesia Mengajar, during a panel discussion at Friday’s event.

According to Neneng Goenadi, country managing director for Accenture Indonesia, some women have a tendency to limit themselves in their career choices. Women often assume that higher positions will mean less time for their household, she added. [Click her for full article…]

US$100,000 worth assistance to Indonesians displaced by Sinabung eruptions

Jakarta Post – US Ambassador Robert Blake has offered US$100,000 to support the Indonesian government’s disaster relief in response to the ongoing Mount Sinabung eruptions in North Sumatra.

The humanitarian relief items are provided by the US government to people residing in evacuation centers through the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

“I’m impressed by the strong spirit and resilience of communities around Mt.Sinabung,” Ambassador Blake said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“The US is committed to working with the Indonesian government to help the people of Sinabung recover from this calamity and rebuild their lives, and to continue to help the government monitor volcanic activity to save lives,” he went on.

The US’ contribution of funds will allow the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to purchase, distribute and replenish critical supplies to those living in camps and deeply affected in the aftermath of the eruptions.

USAID’s Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), currently undertaken in partnership with the US Geological Survey, is providing on site and remote technical assistance and equipment to the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) to strengthen volcano monitoring and response in the area.

The equipment creates a seismic monitoring network near Mt.Sinabung to detect volcano-related earthquakes – often precursors to eruptions – and is used by CVGHM to establish three seismic field stations and a base station near Mt.Sinabung. [Click here for full article…]

Indonesia: Rights Rollback for Religious Minorities, Women

Protestors from the International Women’s Alliance and Gabriela organization shout slogans at the gate of the World Trade Organization Minsterial Conference on the island of Bali on December 5, 2013.
© 2013 Reuters

Human Rights Watch – Indonesian women and religious minorities faced heightened discrimination in 2013 from the government’s failure to enforce human rights protections, Human Rights Watch said today in itsWorld Report 2014.

Indonesia’s government under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should reverse course and enforce laws protecting religious freedom, Human Rights Watch said. Indonesia should amend or abolish hundreds of local bylaws that discriminate against women and religious minorities. The government should also release the dozens of political prisoners, mostly Papuan and Moluccan activists, imprisoned for peaceful dissent.

“President Yudhoyono is all talk and no action when faced with government officials and militant groups intent on curbing the rights of women and religious minorities,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Unless Yudhoyono takes decisive action in the final months of his presidency in 2014, his legacy will be marred by his failure to defend the rights of all Indonesians.” [Click here for full article…]

Amnesty Calls for Strengthening of Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Bylaw

Rebel members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) hold a drill at Lhok Juk village, in the East Aceh subdistrict of Peudawa, on May 17, 2004. (AFP Photo)

Jakarta Globe – Amnesty International has praised the Aceh parliament for passing a bylaw in December to establish a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate the abuses that took place during 30 years of conflict between Acehnese rebels and the Indonesian military, but emphasized that more needed to be done before the process could begin in earnest.

“The establishment of truth commissions is an important step toward understanding the circumstances that led to past violations, learning from the past to ensure that such crimes will not be committed again, and ensuring that shared experiences are acknowledged and preserved,” Amnesty said.

The Aceh House of Representatives passed the bylaw on Dec. 27, 2013. It has since been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, where it will wait for approval.

The establishment of the commission forms part of the 2005 Helsinki peace deal and the 2006 Law on Governing Aceh to end the conflict — between the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian military — which began in 1976, at a cost of between 10,000 and 30,000 lives.

“Addressing these past crimes would not only contribute to healing the open wounds of the civilian population, it would also help strengthen the rule of law in the country which can help secure the peace process in the long term,” Amnesty said.

“However some provisions in the bylaw fall short of international law and standards and should be strengthened to ensure that the truth commission operates effectively.”

The organization said the definition of human-rights abuses should be expanded beyond those defined in the 1999 Indonesian Law on Human Rights to include all violations set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other treaties that Indonesia has ratified. [Click here for full article…]

Fareed Zakaria: Indonesia Plays Greater Role in Islamic Issues

Temp.co – Fareed Zakaria came from a multicultural environment. Born in Mumbai, India in 1964, he grew up in the middle of a Muslim intellectual family. His father was a politician and an Islamic scholar, while his mother was editor of the Sunday Times of India newspaper. He left for the US to get his BA in history from Yale and later, a PhD in international relations from Harvard University. He remained in the US and became an American citizen.

In 2000, Zakaria worked for Newsweek as a regular columnist and international editor for 10 years. He wrote about globalization, the situation in developing countries, the Middle East and the role of the US in the world.

In the US, Zakaria, is known as a mediator between Islam and the West. According to some media, however, he is not a religious man. In fact, he is reluctant to be called a commentator of the Islamic world.

Last month, Tempo reporter Sadika Hamid interviewed him in Bali, in between sessions of the World Culture Forum. Excerpts:

Some say Islam produces violence or jihad.

That is too simplistic. People look at Islam and think that it must be a violent religion. But Indonesia is a very good example. Most people, when they think of Islam, really think of a small number of Arab countries. It is very difficult for them to understand that the whole Arab world is only 290 million people out of 1.6 billion Muslims. The first Arab country is number six on the list of Muslim countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia has about 220 million Muslims, India around 150 million, Bangladesh and Pakistan have very large Muslim populations. Islam in these countries, particularly in Indonesia, is peaceful and harmonious. It encourages pluralism, recognizes and respects other religions. So what I come to live with is the thought that culture is the thing you can change, you can mold, you can adapt, in a way that it enriches growth. It is particularly important in non-Western countries because they are trying to find a way to modernize and to accept those elements of Westernization such as science and modernity but they do not want to lose their soul.

[Click here for full interview…]

Indonesia Candidate Tells US No Tolerance For Extremism

File photo shows Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) shaking hand with Prabowo Subianto (left), chairman of The Great Indonesian Movement party (Gerindra) and presidential candidate for the 2014 elections prior to a meeting at the palace in Jakarta on March 11, 2013. Prabowo’s brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo accused Yudhoyono of being soft on religious extremists. Pic: AFP

Malaysian Digest – With Indonesia preparing for elections in the new year, one underdog candidate is promoting himself in the United States as a president who would crack down on Islamist extremists.

The United States has taken a growing interest in Indonesia, with President Barack Obama — who spent part of his childhood in Jakarta — seeing the world’s largest Muslim-majority country as a ideal partner due to its embrace of democracy and its historically moderate brand of Islam.

But wealthy businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, brother of candidate Prabowo Subianto, said that violence in recent years against Christian, Ahmadiyah and other minorities showed a “total failure” by outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration on ensuring religious tolerance.

“I would give them an F-minus grade,” Hashim told AFP during a recent visit to Washington to promote his brother. [Click here for full article…]

 

Policewomen Rejoice As Jakarta Permits Hijabs on the Force

Policewomen (Polwan) wearing their hijab uniforms in Jakarta on Monday (25/11). TEMPO/Eko Siswono Toyudho

Tempo.co – Policewomen on duty Monday morning were seen wearing head scarves or hijab and wearing long skirts. As many as 15 women wearing hijab marched in line showing off the official police uniform for Muslim women who wear veils.

Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Sudjarno said the police will issue a guide for policewomen who intend to wear theirhijab on duty. This was done so personnel will still have a standard police uniform.

Previously, policewomen were prohibited from wearing hijab on duty. Indonesian police chief Sutarman said he has finally allowed these women to wear their hijab on duty as it is part of their rights as humans. [Click here for full article…]

Basuki Rejects Criticism, Says Students Have Right to Safe Study

Jakarta Globe – The Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) has accused Jakarta deputy governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama of not understanding the law after he endorsed the expulsion from state schools of students engaged in violent behavior.

Basuki shrugged off the criticism, saying it was not the first time that he had been accused of ignorance of the law.

“I’m getting used to it. Komnas HAM [National Commission on Human Rights] also accused me of not understanding human rights. I was also challenged by an NGO about the Pluit dam case. But where are they now?,” said Basuki at the City Hall on Friday.

Earlier in the year Basuki and Komnas HAM were at odds over the Jakarta administration’s forceful removal of shanty town dwellers at Pluit dam to make way for flood prevention works.

At the time Basuki said that he did not understand how Komnas HAM could declare the evictions of local residents a human rights violation, when the people were squatters on state land.

This week Basuki’s pro-explusion statements have arguably put him at odds with chapter 13 of the constitution, which states “Every citizen has the right to an education” — or so the government-established child protection agency KPAI says.

Following the October hijacking of a public bus by 35 students from state-run SMAN 46 senior high school in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, authorities moved to throw the offending students out of the public school system. [Click here for full article…]

Indonesia Sends Peacekeeping Forces to Sudan

Temp.co – Indonesian National Police send troops to Darfur, Sudan. The troops consist of 140 personnel and are part of Form Police Unit VI (FPU VI) which duty is as UN peacekeeping forces in Sudan.

“This is part of UN mission to solve a country’s internal conflict,” Chief of FPU Indonesia VI Operational Task Force Adjunct Police Commissioner Ketut Yoga Saputra said on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. FPU Indonesia VI Task Force will be dispatched to Darfur on November 26, 2013.

This task force, Ketut said, has missions to maintain security and order, protect UN personnel and facilities, protect Internal Displaced Person Camp refugees, and protect UN humanitarian aid.

Ketut stated that the troops are divided into five teams, they are Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta which duties are to patrol, secure, and fetch VIP guests in Darfur, and staff whose duty is to prepare equipments and logistics for FPU VI troops. [Click here to continue…]

Indonesia ramps up battle over people smuggling

Scott Morrison arrives for a meeting with the Indonesian government ministers on people smuggling. Photo: Michael Bachelard

The Age – Indonesia will offer to step up naval patrols in the ocean between Java and Australia in an attempt to combat people smuggling, a government spokesman has said.

The offer came as Australian immigration minister Scott Morrison met Indonesian officials on Wednesday afternoon after having gone out of his way not to give journalists details of the appointment.

 

However, Mr Morrison would be disappointed that he could not meet the relevant minister, Djoko Suyanto, who was called away by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to another event in Padang.

 

Mr Djoko, the co-ordinating minister for security, politics and law, is the chairman of Indonesia’s people smuggling taskforce, and the man who must agree to any new policy direction.

 

Agus Barnas, a spokesman for Mr Djoko, denied there was any snub intended to Mr Morrison, saying the need for the Indonesian minister to leave Jakarta had only arisen recently.

 

Indonesian army commander, General Moeldoko, was also unable to attend the meeting, which was instead chaired by justice and human rights minister Amir Syamsuddin.

 

General Moeldoko, who will ultimately decide how many ships to deploy to the Timor Sea, sent instead his chief of staff for general affairs, Boy Syahrial.

 

Mr Agus said Indonesia would offer Mr Morrison to “maximise our navy patrols in the south sea, because normally we don’t have that many ships there, because there has been no threat from the south”.

 

“But now we will intensify the sea patrols because these asylum seekers are trying to go south,” he said. [Click here for full article…]

Scholars, intellectuals endorse Prabowo’s bid

The Jakarta Globe – A group of university professors and intellectuals announced on Wednesday its collective endorsement of Gerindra Party presidential candidate and chief patron Prabowo Subianto, giving the retired army general another moral boost ahead of the upcoming presidential election. Former Bandung-based Padjadjaran University rector Yuyun Wirasasmita, who read the group’s endorsement during a gathering […]