Mass education and political will from stakeholders are necessary to realize gender equality.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Mass education on gender equality is necessary to improve women's participation in the nation's development, Deputy Chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat has said.



"Mass education and political will from stakeholders are necessary to realize gender equality," she added in a written statement issued on Tuesday.



Historically, many women in the nation have played a role in fighting and fending off invaders. Examples of these women include Commander Malahayati and Queen Kalinyamat.



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However, despite the epic struggle of these women figures, the current perception among the public is that women are subordinate to men, Moerdijat noted.



This is despite the fact that, in the past, women leaders were found capable of charting major steps that produced significant advancement in the regions that they led.



For instance, the strategy Queen Kalinyamat adopted while leading the fight against the Portuguese.



The queen from Jepara entered into a defense pact with kingdoms from Aceh to Maluku and built a maritime center to defend the nation.



Historically, women in the nation have displayed the same skills and capability as men, Moerdijat pointed out.


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To shed light on their contribution, massive education is necessary to continuously unveil what actually happened in the past, she opined.



The goal is so that contemporary women have the same spirit and understanding of gender equality.



The deputy chairperson then invited academicians to participate in expediting the realization of people's understanding of gender equality and women's roles in daily life through a variety of scientific research.



With this, it can be determined why the role of women leaders in the past has not had much of an impact in the current time.


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Translator: M Zulfikar, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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