Two remarkable women honored at awards

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 08/25/2007 1:31 PM  |  Life

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two women activists, Aleta Ba'un from East Nusa Tenggara and Mutmainah Korona from Central Sulawesi, were presented with the Saparinah Sadli Award Friday in recognition of their leadership roles in their local communities.

Aleta was awarded for her brave efforts in defending the rights of tribal communities in Soe regency against a mining company, while Mutmainah was honored for successfully pushing for gender-sensitive regulations in villages in Donggala regency.

Melani Budianta, who headed the panel of judges that selected the award recipients, said the two women were selected from 100 nominees from across the country.

""It was difficult to choose the women. We finally decided that the award should go to these two women,"" said Melani, who is also a professor at the University of Indonesia.

Named after noted women's activist Saparinah Sadli, the award was introduced in 2002 to honor activists advancing the cause of women in the country. The award was presented for the first time to activist Maria Ulfah Anshor for her research on Fiqh Aborsi (Islamic abortion law). She is now a member of the House of Representatives.

Saparinah Sadli did not attend Friday's ceremony, instead opting to accompany her husband, noted economist M. Sadli, while he received treatment at a Jakarta hospital.

Melani said the two women met the award's criteria of concern for justice and women's empowerment and a commitment to change, innovation and equality.

Nominees were recognized for their work in building the capacity of local people, especially women, to improve their daily lives.

""These women also represent struggles at both the grassroots level and the structural level. Both levels are important if we're talking about the struggle of women,"" Melani said.

Other jurists at the award were sociologist Ery Seda, psychologist Kristi Purwandari, Maria Ulfah Anshor, actress Nurul Arifin and Regional Representatives Council member Ichsan Loulembah.

In her acceptance speech, Aleta said she helped local people defend their only source of getting food and water -- their land and forests -- from one mining company's local interests.

""Because of my activities, the local administration reported me to the police in 2003. And now, I'm still a suspect. I was hunted down by thugs,"" the 44-year-old mother said.

Safety fears have forced the mother of three to keep moving from place to place since June. ""In fact, I meet my husband in secret spots. It's like we're dating,"" she said to thunderous applause from the audience.

""Yesterday, I received a threatening call, telling me they knew that I was in Surabaya,"" Aleta said.

Mutmainah, on the other hand, said the award was also for her fellow activists who pushed councillors in Palu and Donggala to approve female-friendly bylaws and budgets.

""I thank my husband for donating half of his salary for women's activities,"" the 28-years-old mother of three said.

She said women activists in Donggala managed to push the local administration to cut budgets for routine expenditure and shift the money to public health.

Before the ceremony, a panel discussion themed ""Nutrition, Quality Society and Millennium Development Goal Achievement"" was held featuring Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University lecturer Siti Musdah Mulia, researcher Sri Palupi and medical doctor Wulan Orioni B. Singal, with keynote speaker U.N. Special Envoy for Millennium Development Goal Achievement for Asia and the Pacific Erna Witoelar.

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