"This is my commitment to support women’s leaderships in State-Owned Enterprises and in Indonesia in general," Thohir emphasized.
"Currently, the board of directors in State-Owned Enterprises reach only 11 percent. (Our) target is 15 percent. I am optimistic that this target would be achieved not only in State-Owned Enterprises but also in various state and private institutions," the minister noted in a statement on Tuesday.
#GirlsTakeover is a global campaign initiated by Plan International, and it is being conducted simultaneously in 75 countries annually in commemoration of International Day of the Girl Child on October 11. This year, it brings up the theme of gender equity/equality and women leadership in the world of work. The implementation from August to October 2021 is a collaboration between the Plan International Indonesia Foundation and State-Owned Enterprise Ministry as well as State-Owned Enterprise Srikandi.
"I want to support the youth, especially women, to be strong, continuously grow, and hone their skills as leaders. Through #GirlsTakeover, I hope to be able to promote this narrative to the general public. Hence, I encourage young women in Indonesia to partake in 2021 #GirlsTakeover and boldly take on my role as the state-owned enterprise minister," he affirmed.
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Apart from Thohir, five heads of State-Owned Enterprises participated in the campaign in a bid to encourage young women to take on their positions for a day. Among the enterprises are Angkasa Pura 1, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Kimia Farma, Bank Mandiri, and Telkomsel.
"This campaign aims to push for a change in the gender paradigm and stereotype, which have been stunting opportunities for women, especially young ones, to participate in the world of work and reach up to leadership positions," Executive Director of Plan Indonesia Dini Widiastuti stated.
"#GirlsTakeover is in accordance with Srikandi BUMN's vision and mission to push and develop equal leaderships in order to support Indonesia in achieving its target to compete globally, with two keys being women’s empowerment and women’s leadership. Srikandi BUMN realizes that in order to achieve this, synergy is needed, whether it is within or outside the State-Owned Enterprises community," Head of Srikandi BUMN Tina T. Kemala Intan noted.
According to data, the Labor Force Participation Rate (TPAK) of women was yet to be fully equal to that of men. The 2020 National Labor Force Survey showed that the LFPR of Indonesian women reached only 53.13 percent, lower than that of men, pegged at 82.41 percent. The data was supported by the Central Bureau of Statistics that showed only 33.08 percent of the women in Indonesia occupied managerial positions.
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Widiastuti expected more institutions to facilitate young women to work and move forward.
“This collaboration with the state-owned enterprises minister, Srikandi BUMN, and all partners of the state-owned enterprise minister, has shown a real commitment in creating a supportive work environment for young women. The presence of a role model, such as Mister Erick Thohir, will greatly inspire young women to become future leaders,” Widiastuti noted.
#GirlsTakeover 2021 is also part of a series of the #RaisetheBar campaigns that will run until the end of 2022. This campaign aims to break gender norms and the burden that women generally face by promoting new narratives, including equal opportunities for women and men, equal division of roles in caring and nurturing within the family, and positive masculinity. Plan Indonesia collaborates with various partners, including Srikandi BUMN, to promote gender equality and women's leadership in the world of work for a year to come.
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Translator: Nanien Yunar, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
