Men stand up for women on Kartini Day

Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 04/20/2008 10:57 AM  |  Headlines

Transportation service providers in Greater Jakarta are planning to give special treatment to their female passengers and employees to commemorate Kartini Day, National Women's Day, on Monday.

State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api (KA) said Saturday male travelers in Greater Jakarta would be asked to give their seats to standing females on Kartini Day, to show respect to Kartini as well as other women.

"We'll make the announcement through loud speakers in every station before the passengers get on their train," he told The Jakarta Post.

Kartini was an Indonesian heroine who fought for women's emancipation during the Dutch colonial era. She established a school for women in Rembang, Central Java, in early 1900 when tradition banned Indonesian women to go to school.

"We'll also deploy our officers to scan trains and remind male passengers they have to give up their seats for women," Udar said.

However, he said there would be no punishment for those who refused to comply as the shame brought to the men would be enough.

Adi Purnama, an employee of a media company who regularly uses the train from Depok to reach his office here, said the campaign would not be effective.

"I believe it will be hard to implement as it will require the consciences of male passengers," he told the Post.

"They often pretend to be asleep to avoid giving their seats to women," he said.

Another employee of an office on Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, Desy Theresia, supports the policy, saying she rarely finds a seat when she takes the train from Bekasi.

"I hope men will support the idea and give their seats to women, just for that day," she said.

Jakarta's busway operator, Transjakarta, will require all female drivers to wear kebaya, a traditional dress, and arrange their hair insanggul, a traditional smooth bun at the nape of the neck, on the day.

"This is how we commemorate Kartini Day every year," Transportation Agency deputy head Udar Pristono told the Post.

He said they had been celebrating the day since 2006, when they started to employ female drivers.

Udar said the agency will not provide extra seats for women that day since Transjakarta already had a policy requiring male passengers to give their seats to women, especially pregnant women, old people and handicapped passengers every day.

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