The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) said here Wednesday it would include proposals submitted by the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan)
into the nation’s mid-term development plans.

The commission proposed education and economic development for women, and the improvement of the national legal system as part of an effort to minimize violence against women in the country.

The agency’s director of law and human rights, Diani Sadiawati, said that she would coordinate with related ministries and regional administrations to make sure the proposal would be systematically included in the national agenda.

The 2004 National Development Planning System Law stipulates the President should finish setting up the national medium-term development plan three months after being inaugurated.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono were inaugurated on Oct. 20.

“We expect the new national strategy to improve the quality of women and children in the country,” Diani said during a discussion between her office and the women’s commission on Wednesday.

She added the President might issue a presidential regulation on the national medium-term development plan by the end of January.

International and local observers have said the government still neglects programs to improve the condition of Indonesian women and children.

The commission’s deputy chairwoman, Ninik Rahayu, said that many policies initiated by the central government and regional administration had hampered women’s empowerment.

“We want an integrated national legal system and systematic control to be carried out by the
government to regional bylaws before its issuance,” she said, arguing for an immediate revision of bylaws that negatively impact upon women.

The commission’s proposal says that: “Many regional policies have provided leeway for discrimination against women and have scraped the integrity of the national legal system due to the failure of  government officials and law enforcers to perform their functions in relation to controlling regional administrations.”

Ninik pointed out that more than 150 bylaws that negatively impact upon women had been passed between 1999 and 2009.

The commission also proposed the harmonization of the national legal system in the central government and regional administrations in line with the Constitution, to ensure that minority groups, such as women, received equal and just treatment.

The commission also called for the issuance of several government regulations to implement the 1984 law on the eradication of discrimination against women.

It proposed the revision of the 1974 Marriage Law because the commission believes the law prioritizes men over women.

The commission also proposed the restructuring of the national and regional manpower systems to optimize the informal sector, in which many women earn a living, to ensure the economic rights of poor women were fulfilled.

It also asked the government to evaluate the national education curricula based on constitutional rights and gender equality. (nia)

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