Single working mothers believe that equality is not just about having the same positions as men, but it also means that they are able to provide for their families.

After a divorce is finalized and a child is under the custody of their mother, it becomes almost certain that in most cases in Indonesia the mother will have to work as hard as she can to support her children — both emotionally and financially.

Despite court orders, fathers often neglect their children’s basic needs — food, education and health — by disregarding their duty to financially support them.

Indi, 29, the mother of 4-year-old boy, said that she refused to beg her former husband to financially support their children.

“He doesn’t want to be concerned. The court has actually ordered him to provide financial support for my son, but he hasn’t. I’m not going to bother with the issue. My son is happy and healthy, which is the most important thing,” said Indi, who was a victim of domestic violence during her marriage.

Another single mother, April, however refused to remain quiet on the matter. “I keep asking [for her son’s school tuition], although he never provides it. So far, he has only given Rp 100,000 [US$10.40] or Rp 200,000 in pocket money whenever he visits us.”

For mothers, providing a good life for their children is everything. They will do whatever they can to financially protect their kids, including taking jobs with long hours, or two jobs in lieu of allowances from their former husbands.

The facts show that many fathers disobey Article 41 of the Marriage Law, which states that a father is responsible for financially supporting his children.

In that sense, finances have become a major challenge for most single mothers.

“Actually, we don’t have a legislation or government program that firmly protects women and children, especially for female-headed households,” Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry secretary Sri Danti Anwar told The Jakarta Post.

But the ministry has been implementing empowerment programs to ease their burden, she said.

Danti said that in 2005, the ministry started a financial initiation program by providing micro-credit financing for female-headed households with small businesses. The ministry recorded that Indonesia currently has about 7 million female-headed households.

The ministry also created a financial support program for women in rural areas, worth Rp 1 million in capital per person, with the aim of enhancing their economic productivity.

“We started it in a few provinces, but now the program is under local governments,” said Danti, adding that the initiation was in line with the Micro-Finance Institution Law.

Currently, the ministry is focusing on gender-based capacity building, which provides advocacy to gender-based matters — including understanding gender terms and analysis as well as gender familiarization and policies regarding children.

The effort is aimed at, among other things, reducing the gender gap for single mothers.

“Overall, we’re obliged to educate all women in the country so they can be financially independent, have access to education, healthcare, as well as culture so can have independence, despite having full custody of their children, and live the proper life they wanted.

“We shall not let people discriminate against them, especially when it comes to decision making,” said Danti.

She further said that single mothers were still potential human resources for the nation’s development. “Therefore, we should eliminate any kind of stigma against single mothers. Let’s just stop the labeling, discrimination, and violence against them.”

Danti shared that the nation has been showing positive development in understanding gender role in the society.

“We have annual evaluations on gender mainstreaming that we’ve shared with governmental institutions and public nationwide. The feedback has been really good, showing that more and more people acknowledged the issue.”

Nevertheless, Masruchah, deputy chairwoman of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), said that the government had issued a law that ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women in 1984, in an effort to protect women.

Women from the Disabled Motorcycle Community gather near the National Monument (Monas) park to observe Women’s Day. (JP/P.J. Leo)
“We have the law, which can accommodate the need to overcome the discrimination against women in the society — both in social and professional life.

“It means that the government has the obligation to integrate the law with other policies and laws in order to build an accommodative livelihood for both men and women,” she said.

Masruchah believes that the gender equality bill, which is now under deliberation at the House of Representatives, would help echo the Anti-Discrimination Law.

Masruchah said that equality did not mean that both men and women were biologically identical. There were four points — access, participation, benefit and control — in the principle to reach equal conditions in society.

“First is equal access in all parts of life — education, health, and career — for both men and women. If a woman incurs trouble in career advancement just because she gets pregnant and has to care for her child, then that is simply inequality,” she said.

Women should be given the same opportunity as men to participate in an activity, including politics and professional work, said Masruchah.

“We often hear that politics is a hard and dirty world for women so it’s quite tricky for them to participate.”

Like men, women should receive the same benefits as men at work, including receiving allowances and opportunities for career advancement, she said.

“The last point is control. Women should have decision-making rights in all aspects of their lives.”