Don’t use female politicians only in campaigns: Mooryati

Political parties in Indonesia have to involve more women in politics, and not just encourage their appearance only during campaigns, a former deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly says.

Mooryati Soedibyo, a businesswoman who was politically active during 2004-2009, said parties had to better prepare women candidates.

“During campaigning many political parties look for women to be candidates. They ask public figure to join them, but there is no guarantee these women have any [political] abilities,” she said at the launching of her book, Transforming Women’s Voices, on Friday.

Mooryati, the first woman to serve as deputy Assembly speaker, said parties had to recruit female cadres who understood politics.

“Don’t forget that half the citizens are women, and they need good representation,” She said.

Mooryati, a former member of the Regional Representatives Council from Jakarta, recounted that in her time at the Assembly, women made up 22 percent of the Council and
12 percent of the House of Representatives.

At the start of the current session of the legislature, which began in 2009, 18 percent or 102 of the 560 legislators were women.

The Democratic Party has the highest number of women in the House, followed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. The Prosperous Justice Party has the smallest number of female legislators in the House.

However, the figures are still far off the stated target of 30 percent.

Mooryati warned that female representation in the House was not merely a matter of numbers.

“I am happy that the number of female legislators has increased from the previous period. It’s not the number, but the ability to promote people’s aspirations and also participate in the decision-making process. Once a woman becomes a member of a legislative body, she should not stop improving her capability and competency in politics,” she said.

Mooryati, who launched her book on May 20 to coincide with National Awakening Day, said the perception of women in Indonesia was that they were still weak and should not get involved in politics, a field dominated by men.

“Patriarchal customs remain strong, especially in Java. Tradition states that a woman who runs her own business while her husband is still working can hurt her husband’s prestige,” Mooryati, an award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of Yayasan Puteri Indonesia, which stages the Puteri Indonesia beauty pageant, said.

She said she was pleased a former winner of the pageant, Angelina Sondakh, was able to win a seat in the House. (rcf)