The government of South Sulawesi, one province in Indonesia, recently has planned to issue regional regulation to minimize or diminish the practice of children and women trafficking. There have been many cases where women from this area are employed in “indecent places” such as bars, nightclubs, as naked dancers or prostitutes abroad. (NOTE: they were cheated. At first they were promised to work in ‘decent’ places, such as waitress, but then they were employed as naked dancers or prostitutes). The local government thought that to anticipate it, they needed to issue a certain regulation. One article in the regulation stated that to work abroad, a woman/a child has to get written permission from the chief village. When she doesn’t have such a document called SIBPA (Surat Izin Bekerja Perempuan dan Anak/A Permission Letter to Work for Women and Children), they are not allowed to work.
However, then, it creates another problem: the unfair treatment toward male and female workers. Male workers are free to work anywhere they want, they don’t need to undergo a complicated process by getting such a permission document from the chief village where they live; while female workers need to get that document. The impact? If a female worker doesn’t have that, and she insists working, she will be exposed to some risks:
1.She will be arrested and put in jail because they are considered to violate law.
2.She will get no protection from the government when something wrong happens to her, such as violent treatment from the employer.
Not to forget that those women who are willing to work abroad, and who sometimes are cheated by the irresponsible agent are from poor family. They need money to survive, and not just for self-esteem or self-actualization (according to the hierarchical needs of Maslow’s theory). They have to go abroad because the local government cannot provide them enough job vacancies whose salaries are expected to secure their future.
While for children who are supposed not to work, but to get education to prepare their future, they can be legally employed after they get that permission document.
Therefore, women groups think that instead of protecting women and children from trafficking, this regulation even violates their rights to work for women, and to pursue their education for children.
PT56 12.25 230707
Showing posts with label women's rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's rights. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Women Employee
Some days ago I read in a national newspaper about police women who cannot reach a high position in their job only because they were born as female. Their female bodies are considered as the main weakness for them to do any assignment as police women. Many policemen don’t like to get policewomen as their partners to do one duty, let’s say, coz they say that their burden even will be doubled coz they don’t only think about their own safety, they have to protect their female partner as well. Some of them also complain that sometimes they will have to face the policewomen’s husbands’ jelousy when they have to do a task together. Policewomen, then, will only get desk jobs that often will make their career stop.
According to the article in that newspaper, more than 50% policewomen complain about that. They are in fact ready to do any assignment given to them—not only desk jobs. As policewomen, they used to get training some martial arts too to protect themselves so why their male partners complain about having to protect them?
It reminded me of a male friend of mine who works for a mining company in North Sulawesi, one big island in Indonesia. Some months ago he told me about a new female employee as his subworker. He complained coz he couldn’t give her any job coz she was a female. “I don’t have a heart to send her to a mining site in a forest, let’s say, coz it is a hard job for a woman. It is not an easy area to explore. I don’t have a heart either to send her to a mining site in another site where the weather is hot coz it will ruin her complexion. She will become dark due to that.”
Simply I responded, “Do you think she doesn’t know her risk to choose that kind of job? She must be ready to face any risk she gets in her job coz it is her own choice. Why don’t you just stop bothering yourself and just give her any duty she has to do; any duty you would give to a male subworker? Treat them equal.”
“It is easy for you to say that coz you are a feminist. You always want to be treated equally. I am not sure with her though,” he still complained.
“If she refuses, send her home. She is not ready to work for a mining company then. Tell her that she has made a wrong choice.”
Oh well, I forget to ask him whether my friend eventually gives the new female employee any duty, and whether she still goes on working there.
PT56 21.57 081006
According to the article in that newspaper, more than 50% policewomen complain about that. They are in fact ready to do any assignment given to them—not only desk jobs. As policewomen, they used to get training some martial arts too to protect themselves so why their male partners complain about having to protect them?
It reminded me of a male friend of mine who works for a mining company in North Sulawesi, one big island in Indonesia. Some months ago he told me about a new female employee as his subworker. He complained coz he couldn’t give her any job coz she was a female. “I don’t have a heart to send her to a mining site in a forest, let’s say, coz it is a hard job for a woman. It is not an easy area to explore. I don’t have a heart either to send her to a mining site in another site where the weather is hot coz it will ruin her complexion. She will become dark due to that.”
Simply I responded, “Do you think she doesn’t know her risk to choose that kind of job? She must be ready to face any risk she gets in her job coz it is her own choice. Why don’t you just stop bothering yourself and just give her any duty she has to do; any duty you would give to a male subworker? Treat them equal.”
“It is easy for you to say that coz you are a feminist. You always want to be treated equally. I am not sure with her though,” he still complained.
“If she refuses, send her home. She is not ready to work for a mining company then. Tell her that she has made a wrong choice.”
Oh well, I forget to ask him whether my friend eventually gives the new female employee any duty, and whether she still goes on working there.
PT56 21.57 081006
Monday, September 4, 2006
Women's Right
Sunday morning. As usual I go swimming alone. My lovely star—Angie—always chooses to linger in bed. LOL. I arrive at the swimming pool around 06.00-06.15. After swimming for about one hour 15 minutes, I finished, and taking a shower.
The following thing I usually do is sitting on one bench, enjoying a cup of hot coffee, while writing in my diary, or reading a book. I recognize many familiar faces around me—parents who usually accompany their children who take swimming lessons and watch them practice. However, since I am not really a sociable person, I usually don’t pay attention to all of them. I enjoy myself with my diary or books to read and coffee. I believe those people are also familiar to see me sitting on the same bench, writing something or reading a book, a bit ignorant to the surrounding area.
***
And suddenly this morning, I remember what happened some years ago. In the swimming pool, some guys were around me, trying to be friendly to me. I was trying to be friendly to them too then.
One of them asked, “How often do you go swimming?”
I answered, “Well, around three or four times a week.”
He asked again, “Do you always do it in the morning?”
I answered, “On Sunday I always do it in the morning. On some other days, it depends on my spare time. But sometimes in the morning too, after I take my daughter to school.”
Unfortunately, then they started to be nosy. One of them said, “Oh, you are already married? Don’t you think you are supposed to be at home to do your household chores? And not just enjoy yourself swimming here pretending to be a single girl.”
I was not sure what I said at that time. I didn’t remember. I believe then I left them to continue swimming.
***
Remembering what happened some years ago—before I became a declared feminist—this morning, I became suspicious if one of those familiar faces seeing me writing or reading while sitting on a bench also had the same question on his/her mind. “What the hell is that woman doing there? Isn’t she supposed to go home soon and do her household chores to be considered as a good wife?” Of course I will not give a damn. None of their business anyway.
NOTE: the stereotyping in a patriarchal culture, a woman must not think of her hobbies as the first priority to do after she gets married; she has to give more priority to her husband and children; she has to think of her husband and children’s happiness in the first place, and hers at the last place. She is not supposed to hang around alone without her husband or children. She must be at home when her husband and children at home so that she can serve them well. Consequently, if she works, she must choose a kind of job that will not require her to be outside home in a longer time than her husband. It doesn’t matter whether she enjoys the job or not coz a woman is not born to be a professional worker in public places; a woman is born to be domestic or if having profession after all, as a professional homemaker. If a woman does all those things, she will be crowned as a good woman. On the contrary, a woman who “denies” her destiny will be crowned as a bitch. A woman’s feeling is not important—whether she happily does her household chores, “serves” the husband and children. Label to be a good woman is more coveted rather than to feel happy inside their heart for women coz they are worried to be labeled as a bitch. A bitch label is similar to being unloved and unwanted coz society doesn’t like bitches. And being unloved and unwanted means the end of the world for some people.
PT56 16.57 030906
The following thing I usually do is sitting on one bench, enjoying a cup of hot coffee, while writing in my diary, or reading a book. I recognize many familiar faces around me—parents who usually accompany their children who take swimming lessons and watch them practice. However, since I am not really a sociable person, I usually don’t pay attention to all of them. I enjoy myself with my diary or books to read and coffee. I believe those people are also familiar to see me sitting on the same bench, writing something or reading a book, a bit ignorant to the surrounding area.
***
And suddenly this morning, I remember what happened some years ago. In the swimming pool, some guys were around me, trying to be friendly to me. I was trying to be friendly to them too then.
One of them asked, “How often do you go swimming?”
I answered, “Well, around three or four times a week.”
He asked again, “Do you always do it in the morning?”
I answered, “On Sunday I always do it in the morning. On some other days, it depends on my spare time. But sometimes in the morning too, after I take my daughter to school.”
Unfortunately, then they started to be nosy. One of them said, “Oh, you are already married? Don’t you think you are supposed to be at home to do your household chores? And not just enjoy yourself swimming here pretending to be a single girl.”
I was not sure what I said at that time. I didn’t remember. I believe then I left them to continue swimming.
***
Remembering what happened some years ago—before I became a declared feminist—this morning, I became suspicious if one of those familiar faces seeing me writing or reading while sitting on a bench also had the same question on his/her mind. “What the hell is that woman doing there? Isn’t she supposed to go home soon and do her household chores to be considered as a good wife?” Of course I will not give a damn. None of their business anyway.
NOTE: the stereotyping in a patriarchal culture, a woman must not think of her hobbies as the first priority to do after she gets married; she has to give more priority to her husband and children; she has to think of her husband and children’s happiness in the first place, and hers at the last place. She is not supposed to hang around alone without her husband or children. She must be at home when her husband and children at home so that she can serve them well. Consequently, if she works, she must choose a kind of job that will not require her to be outside home in a longer time than her husband. It doesn’t matter whether she enjoys the job or not coz a woman is not born to be a professional worker in public places; a woman is born to be domestic or if having profession after all, as a professional homemaker. If a woman does all those things, she will be crowned as a good woman. On the contrary, a woman who “denies” her destiny will be crowned as a bitch. A woman’s feeling is not important—whether she happily does her household chores, “serves” the husband and children. Label to be a good woman is more coveted rather than to feel happy inside their heart for women coz they are worried to be labeled as a bitch. A bitch label is similar to being unloved and unwanted coz society doesn’t like bitches. And being unloved and unwanted means the end of the world for some people.
PT56 16.57 030906
Saturday, February 18, 2006
HAVING A BABY
A week ago, I met a good friend after we didn’t have time to talk together for almost a year. She told me very good news: she got Fullbright scholarship to take Master’s Degree to America. That’s quite an achievement! She will go to America next August 2006. I am happy for her, of course.
Some days after that, I told a workmate of mine about that happy news. Instead of hearing his happy remark, he commented, “Doesn’t she think of having a baby first rather than to pursue her study? She has got her Master’s Degree from Diponegoro University, hasn’t she?”
I was speechless to hear that comment. This male workmate got married in /August 2005, and about two weeks ago his wife just got miscarriage. My good friend has got married for more than six years, and until now she hasn’t got a baby yet. (Nature’s secret why some women easily get pregnant while some others do not. Who is to blame?)
I remember this good friend of mine was always restless to wait for the coming of a baby in her marriage. She always feels uncomfortable to attend her big family’s gathering coz she is always unhappy when her relatives ask about that. An axiom saying “you are a true woman only after you deliver a baby” has been haunting her. Her understanding husband doesn’t really help comfort her restlessness.
Last year she sent me messages saying that she would apply for a Fullbright scholarship. She said, “I want to show people that I have ‘something’ to be proud of though I don’t have a baby (yet).” My comment was, “Good, dear, go for it!”
Now that she has got it, in fact, she finds some (conventional) people besiege her with questions, such as, “Don’t you think that having a baby is more important than pursuing your study coz you are a woman?” or “Don’t you think that in fact your husband is not really willing to let you go coz he wants to have a baby from you? And not Master’s Degree from you? Who knows he said that it is okay for you to go to America only for his lips service and not coming from his heart?” or “Are you sure that your husband is willing to see that you give more priority to your career than to give him a baby?”
In our country, people still stick to three things that they think will make their life ‘complete’ and ‘happy’: having a job, being married, and having a baby. This is so strongly stuck on everybody’s mind that it really bothers their conscience if they don’t have these three things. In my good friend’s case, her having a good career and understanding husband do not really make her feel happy. She was continuously worried. It was difficult for her to think that “it is okay to live without a baby. People will still be happy not to have one of those three things. Why should they care much about other people’s comment? And why do some of us nosily talk about other people? Why don’t we just feel happy for other people?
My good friend needed to comfort herself not to have a baby yet by getting an academic achievement. How about other people? Especially those who cannot comfort themselves and keep thinking of what society says about them (for example not married yet or not having a baby yet).
Feeling happy and ‘complete’ in our lives must be determined by ourselves. And be confident with that.
Some days after that, I told a workmate of mine about that happy news. Instead of hearing his happy remark, he commented, “Doesn’t she think of having a baby first rather than to pursue her study? She has got her Master’s Degree from Diponegoro University, hasn’t she?”
I was speechless to hear that comment. This male workmate got married in /August 2005, and about two weeks ago his wife just got miscarriage. My good friend has got married for more than six years, and until now she hasn’t got a baby yet. (Nature’s secret why some women easily get pregnant while some others do not. Who is to blame?)
I remember this good friend of mine was always restless to wait for the coming of a baby in her marriage. She always feels uncomfortable to attend her big family’s gathering coz she is always unhappy when her relatives ask about that. An axiom saying “you are a true woman only after you deliver a baby” has been haunting her. Her understanding husband doesn’t really help comfort her restlessness.
Last year she sent me messages saying that she would apply for a Fullbright scholarship. She said, “I want to show people that I have ‘something’ to be proud of though I don’t have a baby (yet).” My comment was, “Good, dear, go for it!”
Now that she has got it, in fact, she finds some (conventional) people besiege her with questions, such as, “Don’t you think that having a baby is more important than pursuing your study coz you are a woman?” or “Don’t you think that in fact your husband is not really willing to let you go coz he wants to have a baby from you? And not Master’s Degree from you? Who knows he said that it is okay for you to go to America only for his lips service and not coming from his heart?” or “Are you sure that your husband is willing to see that you give more priority to your career than to give him a baby?”
In our country, people still stick to three things that they think will make their life ‘complete’ and ‘happy’: having a job, being married, and having a baby. This is so strongly stuck on everybody’s mind that it really bothers their conscience if they don’t have these three things. In my good friend’s case, her having a good career and understanding husband do not really make her feel happy. She was continuously worried. It was difficult for her to think that “it is okay to live without a baby. People will still be happy not to have one of those three things. Why should they care much about other people’s comment? And why do some of us nosily talk about other people? Why don’t we just feel happy for other people?
My good friend needed to comfort herself not to have a baby yet by getting an academic achievement. How about other people? Especially those who cannot comfort themselves and keep thinking of what society says about them (for example not married yet or not having a baby yet).
Feeling happy and ‘complete’ in our lives must be determined by ourselves. And be confident with that.
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