"We encourage women to speak up," Gender Equality Deputy at the Ministry Lenny N. Rosalin noted through her official statement on Thursday.
"If women usually do not have a platform to speak up, now, we make an effort to make them become involved in the village development planning deliberation," she affirmed.
Rosalin cited data in the Gender and Child Information System (SIGA) in March 2023 which indicated that women have started to become involved in institutions at the village level.
Thus, women's involvement in the village government was recorded at 38.6 percent; Village Deliberation Agency (BPD), 28.45 percent; village social institutions, 55.55 percent; customary institutions, 46.1 percent; and Village-owned Enterprises (BUMD), 33.69 percent.
"Village customary institutions have always been dominated by men throughout this time, and then, one woman enters, who then becomes the head of the village customary institution," she stated.
"This is an extraordinary change in the history of village custom in Indonesia," she remarked.
Despite the involvement rate not yet being high, Rosalin pressed for continued involvement of women, as each woman has the required capacity.
The ministry has created women's leadership trainings in villages to support this initiative.
Chief of Songka Village, Paser, East Kalimantan, Erny Damayanti approved of women's active involvement in the process of village development.
For instance, in 2022, Songka Village held various activities to realize 10 D/KRPPA indicators, such as training, dissemination, and meeting with the Child Forum.
"Through D/KRPPA, women and children in our villages can become more successful and advanced," Damayanti remarked.
Head of Purbawinangun Village, Cirebon, West Java, Tuti Widiastuti also echoed this sentiment.
Widiastuti expressed strong desire for women to express their ideas to resolve issues related to women and children.
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Translator: Hreeloita D S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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