For Mom: Members of the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (KAMMI) rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Mothers’ Day, Tuesday, to urge the government to pay more attention to women’s reproductive health issues. JP/Nurhayati
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began his speech to commemorate Hari Ibu (Women’s Day) Tuesday by expressing affection for his wife, First Lady Kristiani Herawati.
He also teasingly passed on the expression to Vice President Boediono’s wife, also named Herawati.
“To the beloved First Lady,” Yudhoyono said, smiling, while beginning his speech.
His statement was immediately applauded by the audience and drew a smile from the “beloved” First Lady.
“And to Ibu Herawati, who is the beloved of Bapak Boediono,” the President added as quoted by news portal detik.com, before continuing his speech that stressed the important role of mothers in educating their children.
Herawati attended the event without Boediono.
“Don’t let our children go astray or allow their future to be ruined,” Yudhoyono added, addressing all mothers in Indonesia.
Hari Ibu, which falls every Dec. 22 — and is often mistakenly interpreted as the Western equivalent of Mothers’ Day — commemorates the first congress of women’s organizations in Yogyakarta in 1928, which followed the Youth Pledge on Oct. 28 the same year.
During this year’s commemoration at the Indonesian Miniature Park, East Jakarta, Yudhoyono said that today’s women were in an equal social position to men.
He cited the increasing number of women in the Cabinet — from four in his previous tenure to five in the 2009-2014 period.
He added, however, the number still fell short and that more women should be prepared to fill Cabinet seats in the future.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who has been serving Yudhoyono for two consecutive terms, was awarded a Parahita Ekapraya Award by the State Women’s Empowerment Ministry.
State women’s Empowerment Minister Linda Gumelar said the award was dedicated to those who had successfully implemented gender mainstreaming.
Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo and Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah were among 23 other figures that received the award.
In Makassar, two groups staged a peaceful rally to commemorate Women’s Day, criticizing the government’s policies for not supporting women and mothers, with an emphasis on women’s reproductive health.
The groups urged the government to suppress maternal and infant mortality figures and provide special breast-feeding rooms and day care offices.
In Semarang, a number of female journalists attended a book launch held by the Coalition for Female Journalists. The book, entitled Karena Aku Perempuan (Because I am a Woman), is a collection of stories about 20 women reported by 10 print, TV and radio journalists.
Andi Hajramurni and Suherdjoko contributed to the article from Makassar and Semarang.
