"We have not found equality until 94 years of the struggle for the women's movement, which was driven by the holding of the first congress in 1928 in Yogyakarta. So, this is what we really need to pursue. We are talking about the issue of women's participation not only during the independence period, (in the) pre-independence (era) women’s participation was extraordinary," she pointed out during a working visit to commemorate Mother's Day in Bengkulu on Wednesday.
Based on historical records, Mother's Day marks the first Indonesian Women's Congress, which was held in Yogyakarta on December 22–25, 1928. The congress aimed to unite Indonesian women's associations into one single association.
December 22 is considered an important milestone in the history of the rise of Indonesian women, and therefore, the date was designated as Mother's Day, based on the decision of the III Women's Congress in Bandung in 1938.
According to Puspayoga, the current challenge is the recognition of women's participation, which is important for Indonesia.
When looking at the data and indexes, the level of gender disparity seen is still rather concerning.
The commemoration of Mother's Day in Bengkulu, the city where Fatmawati—who sowed the national flag before Indonesia’s independence was proclaimed—was born, can serve as an encouragement for women to continue to work to become independent, innovative, creative, and always improve their quality so that everyone can prosper.
“Hopefully, by holding this year's Mother's Day commemoration in a region (Bengkulu) that has made history, in the future, what we hope and aspire to for Indonesian women can be equal to that of men. This is where the momentum can be for women all over Indonesia," the minister said.
House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani earlier lauded the contribution of women at the “Women's Inspiration Fest” competition in which many women won photo and writing competitions in various categories.
"As women leaders, we must help and support Indonesian women to work together to build the nation and the state. Apart from that, as women leaders, we must work harder to prove that we (women) are capable," Maharani said.
Equal participation of women and men is key for the welfare of a nation, deputy for gender equality at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Lenny N. Rosalin, said earlier.
"Equal and full participation of women and men is the key to the welfare and success of a nation," she observed during a national webinar on "Optimizing Women's Potential in Entrepreneurship with a Gender Perspective,” which was followed from here last Tuesday.
Based on an analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, Indonesia can increase its gross domestic product (GDP) by US$135 billion per year by 2025 if women's economic participation is increased, Rosalin pointed out.
For this reason, efforts to empower women in the economic field need to be strengthened, she said.
Based on data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in 2019, there were a total of 65.5 million business units in Indonesia. Of the number, 99.99 percent were micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
"More than half of those MSME players were women," she highlighted.
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Translator: Sugiharto P, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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