Acting Deputy of Gender Equality at the ministry, Indra Gunawan, assessed that not all parties -- the government and other stakeholders -- had a proper understanding of gender equality issues.
"There are several challenges (in eliminating discrimination against women), among others, understanding of gender issues in every sector of development," he stated at the webinar titled "40 Years of Indonesia's Commitment on Eliminating Discrimination Against Women: Achievements and Challenges" on Monday.
The webinar was held to commemorate the anniversary of Indonesia's ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which highlights the importance of substantive equality principles and the state's obligation to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.
Indonesia ratified CEDAW through Law Number 7 of 1984 on the Ratification of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
On the same occasion, Gunawan also highlighted Indonesia's achievements regarding the CEDAW ratification from 2020 to 2024, including the issuance of Law Number 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crime.
He stated that the law has been followed by the issuance of derivative regulations that regulate the prevention and handling of sexual violence as well as the protection and recovery of victims.
He further drew attention to other government initiatives such as digital literacy improvement for women and the Pre-Employment Card Program, which he believes empower women to play a promising role in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia's Gender Inequality Index (IKG) in 2023 stood at 0.447, reflecting a decline of 0.012 points from the previous year. The decline indicates an improvement in gender equality in the country.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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